Emergence
by StarLion
Summary: It all started with the Paopu fruit. Only two people should have shared it, but three shared in this one. Then the storm came and claimed the Destiny Islands, and all hell broke loose...
1. The Day it all Changed

**A/N: **Guess what? Yep, another story again.  
>You know people often say that inspiration will hit you (ouch!) while you're on the toilet? This is one such inspiration that hit me. Yet another annoying little random idea that captured my imagination.<br>The plot of this one _sort of _follows the real stories, but at the same time it doesn't follow them at all. I'd explain it, but you'll get a better idea by reading.  
>And that's about all the explaining I'll do.<p>

As usual, I don't own Kingdom Hearts, the characters, worlds, places, etc, etc... need I go on? Got the idea? Good.  
>Now, one story, coming right up with a side order of STRANGE (And I mean that).<p>

* * *

><p>"Aw, Kairi, you know I hate mushrooms. Do I really gotta get some?"<p>

"Stop whining, Sora," she chided him. "And see if you can find Riku too. He hasn't given me his supplies yet. And stop pouting too," she added, trying not to giggle at him.

Sora grumbled a little more, but went looking all the same. He'd given her everything except the mushrooms in the hopes she'd forget. He hated mushrooms.

But Kairi wasn't going to let him off easily. Some mushrooms in the tiny cave behind the rock, one of his favourite places to hide. No one ever suspected he'd be in the same place as something he'd do anything to get out of having to eat.

Some more from underneath the rickety bridge they'd constructed. It still fell apart from time to time, and it still got patched up. It gave them something to do when they finally got bored, and it kept them in better shape than the other kids. The ones who stayed on the mainland instead of joining them on their island.

Kairi wouldn't settle for just these though, but where else was he going to find mushrooms...  
>Of course. There were some in the Secret Place, where he, Kairi and Riku frequently etched all kinds of things into the wall.<p>

As he went through the door to the main beach, he spotted Tidus and Wakka testing each other again, with Selphie shamelessly egging them both on. It was harmless fun. Usually. Sometimes one of them would end up getting rowed back over to the mainland for some attention, but for the most part they were fairly self-sufficient on their island. Selphie was bright enough to handle most bumps and scrapes.

Riku was normally up by the few Paopu trees that grew down here. Most of them were further afield, and involved either swimming or hiking. The fruits had an unmatched taste, but knowing the rumoured effects they had, they were rarely sought after. That was, unless one of the less adventurous kids asked them to bring some back from the island.

Just yesterday, they'd shared one. Not just two of them, but three; him, Riku and Kairi. The idea was that their three lives would be bound together just as well as if it had been two of them. It was anyone's guess whether it had worked or not – let alone if the rumours about Paopu fruits were true in the first place.

Today though, Riku was nowhere to be seen. That meant one of three things. He'd gone Paopu hunting, returned to the mainland, or was at the Secret Place. Since Sora knew no one had gone asking for a Paopu, after yesterday it was unlikely he'd gone looking again already. Besides, the one just down here still had several on it.

Gone home? Just as unlikely. His boat was still moored up at their little jetty. That left only one option. He paused to watch the ongoing spar, ducking as Wakka threw one of his Blitzballs, completely missing Tidus.

Sora threw it back at him with a call of, "Missed me!"

"I'll get you next time!" Wakka called back, turning his attention back to Tidus as the little guy finally caught him.

"Hey, Sora!" Selphie called. "Up for a round?"

"Maybe tomorrow," he replied. "I can still feel the marks from last time I took you on!"

He wasn't exaggerating. It was amazing how much she could make that simple, harmless looking rope hurt. At least it wasn't likely to leave more than a few marks.

He crouched low, brushing the ivy aside to duck into the small tunnel that lead to the Secret Place. After a short distance, it rose in height, allowing him to stand up straight again.

Voices came from ahead.

"Oh yeah?" Riku's voice came arrogantly. "I'll show you! I understand more than you give me credit for! I'll get out there and understand everything!"

"A meaningless effort," a new voice came. Had someone else come to their island without anyone else noticing?

"Who says it has to have a meaning?" There was a pause, then, "Huh? Where'd he go?"

Sora crept forward, glancing around the shallow bend. Riku was looking into one corner of the cave. The cave that had all their scratchings on the walls, and the door, the strange door without a handle, a lock, or any way to open it.

He leaned out a little further, seeing no one beside the tree roots Riku was staring at.

Riku shook his head, looking toward the door. He ran his fingers over the narrow crack that proved it was a door, and not just a chunk of wood, then started back toward Sora.

There was a narrow crevice just behind him. One of his other frequent places to hide, and a place he hid again. Even Riku didn't know about this place and he passed by without noticing him.

"I'll show him," Riku muttered as he passed. "I don't know nothing."

Sora stared after him for a few moments, then shook himself, squeezing out of the crevice and heading down into the Secret Place. He already knew where the mushrooms were, and it took him only a few moments to pick them.

He investigated the entire cave before he left, looking for the source of the second voice. There was no evidence that anyone else had ever been there though.

Well, there was nothing else here for him. Nothing in the slightest to suggest someone else, or what Riku had been talking about, so without a second thought to it, he left.

In the shadows behind him, a figure wearing a dark brown robe appeared, looking after him.

"Three?" it murmured. "Unusual."

Then it was gone again.

* * *

><p>That night, Sora lay back, trying to think. His thoughts kept turning to Riku, but they were somehow not his thoughts. He recalled times sat on the long, low trunk of the Paopu tree, except he recalled them as if he were Riku. He leaned on the trunk, often looking up to see Kairi, then just beyond her, himself. Every time he looked at himself in his thoughts, Riku looked back at him.<p>

It was distracting, keeping him from reaching sleep. Every time he settled down, his thoughts strayed back yet again. Even if he tried to think of Kairi, it was often of himself as Riku with Kairi.

There was a distant rumble that distracted him from being distracted, then a second. He quickly sat up, glancing out the window to see a massive storm brewing.

"The raft!" he exclaimed to himself. It was exposed like this – he didn't want all his work to be wasted because of one storm. He had to get to their island to keep it safe.

He couldn't just get out of the room – his parents would notice. Instead, he took a long rope he'd stashed under the bed, tied it around one bedpost, then swung it out of the window, ignoring the rain that lashed at him.

It wasn't far from his house to the beach, but it seemed like longer. It seemed like longer still before his almost frantic rowing finally got him to their island. Kairi and Riku's boats were already here, but there was no one in sight.

No one, that was, except for strange black creatures. He quickly discovered he couldn't seem to hurt them, looking wildly about for his friends. Not here, not at the Paopu tree-

No, Riku was there. At the tree. He made a running jump, catching the bridge with one hand and hauling himself up.

"Riku!" he called. "Riku, where's Kairi?"

"Isn't she with you?"

"What? No, I only just got here. What's going on, Riku?"

"The door is opening, Sora," he answered. "We can go to other worlds at last!"

"Door? But..."

"You're not afraid of the darkness are you?"

"I'm not afraid of anything!"

Riku extended one hand to him. "Then come with me."

Sora tried to reach out to him, but strands of black shot out of a patch on the ground, clawing at Riku, as if trying to consume him. More did the same to him, holding him back just out of reach.

He leaned as far as he could, and just managed to take Riku's hand when a bright flash of light blinded him. When it cleared, Riku had gone, and in his hand was a massive key. Voices filled his mind.

_Keyblade..._

_...Keyblade..._

_...Keyblade._

He turned, looking around for Riku. He had to be here somewhere, surely. He hadn't fallen into the water, he wasn't anywhere in sight-

What was that? Something flashed brightly as a bolt of lightning struck down over the rough seas.

It was a large, ornate door. Exactly where the cave to the Secret Place had been.

His friends momentarily put aside, Sora almost ran to the door, avoiding the black things as he went. They seemed to home in on him, as if this key thing called to them.

When he heard one behind him, he struck it hard with the key, sending it flying, then used the distraction to yank the door open, closing it just as fast as he ducked down into the tunnel, running almost as soon as there was enough room until he reached the cavern... and stopped.

Riku and Kairi were both stood before the door. It now had a keyhole on it.

Both of them turned to him, looking as if they were in some kind of trance, then at the same time they both slurred out, "Sora..."

The door was blasted open by a strong gust of wind. He dug in his feet, bracing against it. Kairi was blown into him first, vanishing as he tried to catch her, then being completely knocked off his feet as Riku collided with him, being whipped out of the cavern in moments. Sora caught hold of a rock, withstanding the blast of air for as long as he could before he too was blown outside.

When he landed, there was something... different about the air.

All he had to do was look up to see the water had gone, leaving a cliff into nothingness, and above him a massive ball of blacks and reds, and other colours that seemed to be the source of the storm, sucking everything toward it.

The wind blew stronger, pulling on him as hard as it could even as he got to his feet.

_"Don't give up!"_ It sounded like Riku's voice, but where was he?

Sora was dragged down the beach by the gusts. He caught hold of a tree, almost hugging it as the tugging grew stronger. He was gradually being pulled up the trunk of the tree.

Then there was no more trunk left, and he was flying, being pulled into the dark heart of the storm. As it swallowed him, blackness covered his vision, then his senses, then he passed out.

* * *

><p>There was nothing. No sound at all. Not even the sound of the clock in his room. He felt weird. He couldn't describe how or why.<p>

With a groan, he pushed himself up on one hand, feeling something soft under him. Definitely a bed.

Sora opened his eyes at last, looking around. He was in some kind of room. There was a bookcase on one side, a small table by his bed, and a mirror just beside the door. Besides him and the bed, that was the entire contents of his room.

He reached his other hand up to rub at his aching head, but stopped when he saw Riku's glove on it. He checked himself over quickly, finding that somehow, he'd ended up wearing Riku's outfit. Everything, right down to the two black wristbands, was now on him. There were differences though – the chain he'd always had attached to his belt was now similarly connected to Riku's belt, and he still had the crown he kept on a chain.

Had he somehow... become Riku? But why was some of his own stuff with him too?

His gaze fell on the mirror, and after a long moments hesitation, he cautiously got up and headed for it. Another hesitant moment before he finally stepped into view.

"What?" He let out a stunned gasp as he saw his reflection.

Sora almost couldn't believe what he was seeing. His hair had remained the same style, but was now Riku's silver instead. Riku's face looked back at him in shock, but his own bright blue eyes looked out of that face instead of Riku's greener eyes. He also seemed to have acquired Riku's more muscular build too.

It was as if someone had taken Riku, applied Sora's hairstyle, eyes and a couple of his affectations, then stuck Sora into the resulting body.

Sora had no idea how long he stood staring at his new reflection, no idea whether he was shocked, or amazed or horrified.

What had happened to him? What had happened to _Riku_, and for that matter Kairi?


	2. Getting Around

It was later, that much Sora knew, but how much later... there was no way to tell. He'd finally dragged himself away from the mirror and returned to the bed. It was still weird seeing what had until recently been Riku's body reacting to what he wanted.

He was laying back on the bed, hands behind his head. He could have left, but he had no idea where this was. It wasn't his room. It wasn't Riku's, or even Kairi's room, though he'd only been in her room once that he recalled.

He had no idea where he was, what had happened to him, or where his friends were. No idea what that key was that had appeared to him, or what the voices he heard after were. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore.

Sora lay there feeling almost numb now that the initial shock had passed, with no idea what he should be feeling. Was there even something he should be feeling after this?

He brought one hand into view again, staring at it and his arm, shaking his head. This was Riku's arm, Riku's hand. Why did he have it? Why did he look like Riku, but for a few small changes?

"At least I still have my own voice," he murmured to himself, replacing the hand behind his head. He missed though, sending it underneath the pillow, where it hit something cold, hard and metallic.

Sora froze for a moment, then gingerly felt around it. It was familiar, something he'd held recently... curiosity finally got the better of him, and he rolled over, pulling up the pillow.

There it was again. That key. It almost seemed to call to him, begging him to take it up. He stopped, trying to resist it, then gave in. After everything that had happened, what was one more weird thing?

As he made the choice, it seemed to jump into his hand with another flash of light. Somehow it seemed to communicate that it was a weapon. Those voices he'd heard... they'd all said 'Keyblade'... well, this was certainly a key, and the handle on it made it fairly clear it was designed to be wielded like a blade...

Sora got to his feet again, swinging it experimentally a few times at invisible opponents, fighting imaginary battles, then chuckled to himself. He'd fought against Tidus and Wakka, Selphie and Riku with a wooden toy sword. If he could handle that, then he could handle this Keyblade, no doubt about it.

It made him feel slightly better, knowing if the need arose, he was well equipped to deal with it, if not because of this Keyblade, because he had just a bit more strength behind him with Riku's body.

He glanced sharply at the door as a voice came from the other side, one he didn't recognise.

"Have no fears," it said, sounding mollifying. "We can still retrieve the situation. We need only awaken him."

"But what of them if you awaken him?" a second voice asked. It sounded... snobby. Almost oily.

"Just watch and learn, my dear Jafar."

"You'll forgive me if I don't hold my breath, Maleficent," Jafar's voice replied.

"Do try to trust me. I lead you this far, did I not? Now go."

This... Maleficent. It sounded like a female voice, and she was right outside his door.

"Go away," Sora whispered to the Keyblade, then when it remained, more insistently he added, "Look, just disappear will you, please?"

It did so in another flash of light just as the door clicked and started to open. He quickly made as if he had been examining the bookcase, pretending not to have heard the door.

"Ah," Maleficent's voice said. "You've awakened."

Sora turned back again, seeing a tall figure, mostly concealed within a black robe. She had a green face with black horns on top, and held a sceptre in one hand.

He made some show of looking her up and down critically, then said, "Who're you meant to be, where am I, and what've you done with my friends?"

"My, so many questions," she chuckled. "Very well. In the interests of friendship, your answers in the same order as your questions. My name is Maleficent, the ruler of this place, which is known as Hollow Bastion. As to your friends... I regret that I have no idea. It was indeed I who brought you here, but I only retrieved you from the darkness that was making a considerable effort to consume you. Now, perhaps you might return this favour and permit me a few questions of my own?"

"Three questions then," he answered. "Fairs fair."

"Indeed it is. Please tell me, who you are, where you used to live, and what happened to you."

She didn't know anything about him. Either that, or she was concealing any knowledge she did have. Sora decided to work with this, playing it just slightly safe. A few lies wouldn't hurt. Much.

"I'm Riku," he told her. "I used to live on the Destiny Islands, except they got consumed by some kind of dark storm when I opened a door I found in a secret cavern."

It had been almost too easy to say it. Normally he got a faint hint of nerves whenever he lied to anyone, but this had been done just as easily as Riku had when he'd once joked he'd share a Paopu with Kairi if Sora lost a race.

Sora paid this little attention though, keeping a wary eye on Maleficent.

"I'm honoured to meet you, Riku," she said with a dip of her head. "Certainly you've made an interesting discovery. Do you know what that door was?"

"No. I never figured out how to open it until last night... then it just opened so easily."

"The door lead to the heart of that world. Tell me, did you see little black creatures? Like short, deformed humans with yellow eyes?"

"Yeah... I couldn't do anything to them."

"Few people can. They are called the Heartless, and they seek above all the hearts of worlds. In opening that door, you let them into your world, and let them consume that heart, in turn destroying your world."

He had no idea if Riku really had opened the door, but someone had to have opened it, and Riku had been the only one curious enough to try every time he saw it. So he kept to the story, acting as if he didn't believe what he was meant to have done.

"I... did that?" Maleficent nodded. "What about my friends... about Ri-" he stopped, correcting himself. "About Sora and Kairi?" Maleficent didn't seem to notice his slip.

"Most likely the darkness claimed them as it attempted to do you before I intervened."

"So... I'll never see them again?"

"There may be some chance you'll find them if you travel from world to world, but I advise against attempting that as you are. I can transport you to one other world, known as Traverse Town, but you must know that I cannot send you to or bring you back from another world easily. You would do well to find an alternative method of transport once there."

"You want something in return though, don't you?" Sora narrowed his eyes shrewdly as he said it.

"Indeed I do, Riku. But it is hardly anything significant. May I borrow that crown of yours for a moment?"

"What are you going to do?" he asked suspiciously, a hand reaching protectively toward it instinctively.

"Merely make it so that I can keep watch on you through it. It will allow me to intervene from afar, instead of using my power to find and come to you only to find myself short of power to handle things personally. Think of me as a kind of guardian, Riku. I just want to ensure no harm comes to you."

Reluctantly, he hooked the chain over his head, handing it to her, but watching her carefully. She didn't know about the Keyblade yet, he could still surprise her with it if she tried anything.

Maleficent took it, tapped it once with the small green ball that sat atop her sceptre, then handed it back. The only difference it showed was on the chain. Every other link was now black instead of the silver the rest were.

"That's it?"

"That is all," she confirmed as he put it back on again, settling it into place. Normally, it just hung around his neck. Riku's sleeveless top had a collar to it though. It felt slightly odd letting it settle around that instead of directly against his neck, but he wasn't about to show that to Maleficent. Not since she thought he was Riku.

He glanced down at it, trying not to think about how weird what he was seeing was, then nodded to Maleficent.

"Alright. I guess I'm ready to go."

"Before you go... if you ever have need of a place to say, just say the word. This room is as your own now."

"Nice of you. What do you want from me for this?"

"Why nothing, Riku. You've lost your home. It's only fair that I should give you a new one. Now, if you're sure you're ready..."

"I'm sure."

"You may feel some disorientation when you arrive," she warned, then outstretched both arms.

His view turned green, then black, and then finally settled into the view of a place he didn't recognise. It looked like a back alley in some kind of town. This must be Traverse Town.

Sora stumbled slightly, steadying himself against a wall. Maleficent hadn't been wrong. Maybe he could trust her... but not yet. Something about her didn't seem quite right, especially after the conversation just outside his door with the enigmatic Jafar.

He shook himself, straightening up again, then he felt eyes on the back of his neck. The Keyblade, seemingly sensing this too, flashed back into his hand. So much for keeping it from Maleficent.

Sora remained completely still, then when he judged it to be just right, he turned sharply, striking out with the Keyblade. A Heartless was flung back into the wall at the end of the alleyway.

Against all probability, it lay against that wall for a few moments, twitching, then it... well, he didn't know what happened exactly. It sort of exploded, but the bits vanished. These Heartless things were weird.

Why could he hurt them now? Was it this Keyblade that made it possible? Were there others who also had ones like it?

Never mind that for now. He had to find Riku and Kairi. Except... Maleficent had said the change she made to his crown made it possible for her to monitor him. He'd have to keep up the act of being Riku, looking for Sora and Kairi.

He expected it to feel weird, having to use Riku's name in place of his own while he looked like Riku too, but if Riku had gone through the same as him... well, he was out there somewhere, probably looking something like he used to. And knowing Riku, he'd use Sora's name... well, he'd go with it for now.

Sora made his way out of the alley into Traverse Town, taking in the sights. An item store, an accessory store, and a wide open space. Not much to see really. A sign informed him he was in the First District, and a second one showed two more districts.

First thing was first, he had to find and arrange for some kind of transport between worlds. None of these places held anything that looked like they'd help him with this, so he stole a map from a stand of various magazines.

As he walked off, what he'd just done hit him. He'd stolen something, and not only stolen it he'd done it without even thinking about it. That wasn't like him. Maybe some of Riku's personality had ended up with him too?

He recalled his lying to Maleficent as he thought on that. That was definitely the sort of thing Riku would have done about it. Whatever had caused him to go through this was messing with his head.

The map pointed out a hotel and several more stores in the Second District, though nowhere on the entire map was it suggested that there was any kind of place that dealt in inter-world transport.

As he entered the second district, the feeling he'd felt when the Heartless appeared behind him in the alley returned, and with it several more Heartless right in front of him.

He could have gone after them, but instead he waited for them, letting them come to him. One wide swing of the Keyblade sent three flying, and destroyed the remaining four. Those that went flying leapt quickly back up to him, only to be swiftly impaled on the end of the Keyblade.

The feeling faded again. No more Heartless. Now to get back to finding Riku, Kairi and a means of getting around...


	3. An Explanation

Traverse Town seemed to be crawling with these Heartless creatures everywhere except in the First District, though there was no indication of what protected it from them.

During his exploration of the town, Sora had found very little of note, and so had returned to the First District and started to look in more detail, planning to start with the accessory shop.

He didn't get that far. Just before he turned the corner to it, a deep voice told him, "They'll come at you out of nowhere. And they'll keep on coming for as long as you continue to wield the Keyblade."

Sora turned quickly, seeing a tall stranger wearing black but for his white shirt and holding a massive blade in one hands, leaning it on his shoulder. Under the dark hair, his expression was difficult to read, though the eyes, a similar blue to Sora's own, were definitely locked onto him.

"Who're you?" Sora asked him. As it it wasn't yet clear if this stranger was hostile or not, he prepared to defend himself by holding the Keyblade just behind him in one hand, other hand extended as if he was asking the stranger to attack. He absently recalled this was Riku's habitual battle stance, not his own. It came to him first though, and he guessed it seemed more natural to him because this was – mostly – Riku's body.

Ignoring this and Sora's question, the stranger went on, "Why would it chose a kid like you though? Even one like you... you look like you can handle it, but you're still just a kid."

"Don't underestimate me," Sora replied hotly. "Or I'll send you the same way as the Heartless!"

"I'll keep that in mind. Now... let me see that Keyblade."

"Like hell will I! How about you start explaining yourself instead?"

The stranger paused, then brought the blade down in both hands.

"Have it your way then," he replied, then attempted to strike down hard. Sora moved quickly aside, then past the long blade and jabbed at the stranger's side. If he wanted a fight, he'd give him one alright!

He only narrowly escaped Sora's attack, leaping agilely away. Sora wasn't going to leave it at that, heading after him. The massive blade stood in his path though, always trained on him, tracking him.

The stranger brought it up, small fireballs circling his hands. Sora took the chance to strike out, aiming for his hands, reasoning that if he harmed the hands, he wouldn't be able to fight. He seemed either unable or unwilling to break off whatever he was doing, allowing Sora to interrupt it by hitting the hand still holding the blade, forcing him to drop it, then he made a second strike for the side of the head. The other hand was quickly raised to block the strike, but even that was pushed back a ways.

"Leon!" another, female, voice called. "Cut that out!"

The stranger muttered something to himself, getting clear and retrieving his blade. This time, it was returned to his shoulder.

The newcomer had more brightly coloured attire to Leon, if the stranger he'd been fighting was Leon. Ninja came to mind instantly on seeing her.

"He's got the Keyblade, Yuffie," Leon told her.

"I can see that. The King told us to find him, not try to take it off him."

"What King?" Sora asked, looking warily from one to the other.

"You don't know? Guess you'd better come with us, before more Heartless come."

"Let them," he answered shortly. "I can handle them."

"Don't get overconfident," Leon warned. "Take it too far and you'll just get hurt."

"Listen carefully and you can hear the sound of no one caring what your opinion is," Sora told him bluntly. "One of you start explaining, or I'm going nowhere – at least not with you."

"First thing's first. You need to lose the Keyblade – the Heartless use it to find you, and we don't need to invite them to our discussion."

"Lose your own blade first. I don't trust you."

"What about me?" Yuffie asked him. "Can you trust me?"

"You're with him," he shrugged. "Makes you just as suspect."

Yuffie looked dismayed, but nodded to Leon. When Sora glanced back to him, his blade was gone. He looked to his own blade, instead of telling it to disappear, this time he just willed it to. As before, it vanished in a bright flash.

"Now will you come with us?" Yuffie asked again.

"No tricks," he replied warningly. "And he can walk in front where I can keep an eye on him," he added, jerking his head toward Leon, who rolled his eyes skyward as he passed by to take the lead.

Without his Keyblade out, the Heartless left them completely alone as they showed him to the hotel – either that, or he'd just destroyed so many that there were none left.

"You know, it's not really as hard to believe as you think," Yuffie told Leon.

"But he's just a kid."

"Hello? I'm right behind you here. Do you really want to be making comments like that to the guy who can stick a Keyblade-"

"Stop that," Yuffie interrupted. "Leon just hasn't figured out the meaning of 'diplomatic' yet. And you haven't told us your name yet."

"You can call me Riku. I suppose it'd be a waste of time asking if you've heard anything of anyone called Sora or Kairi."

"Dead on. You're the first person to mention either of them to me."

"Guess Maleficent was wrong."

Both of them stopped. Leon looked to Yuffie, who looked sharp and seriously to him.

"Did you say Maleficent?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You're not... working for her, are you?"

"No. She just rescued me from the darkness. Told me it had been trying to consume me, then sent me here telling me if I wanted to find my friends, I should start here. That's all."

"Doesn't sound like her," Leon murmured.

"Well, watch yourself, Riku. Maleficent isn't well liked or trusted. If she's done that for you, you can expect to hear her come calling on you for something in return before long."

"She can call all she likes," he replied. "I'll be the one to decide if it's in my interests to do anything for her."

"So I guess this means you know about Hollow Bastion then?"

"Yeah. That's where I ended up. Last thing I remember was the darkness consuming my island, then I woke up in some weird room..." he paused, remembering seeing the reflection and his reaction, then skipped ahead and finished, "After a bit, she came in, explained what had happened and sent me here."

"There's more worlds out there than just Hollow Bastion and Traverse Town. But until now, they've always been a secret from each other."

"So what changed?" he asked, as Leon showed them into a hotel room.

"The Heartless," Leon said. "Those without Hearts, drawn by the darkness in people's hearts. That, and your Keyblade."

"When they find a heart, they consume it – turning the victim into a new Heartless, but if they find the heart of a world-"

"Then the entire world is consumed by the darkness," Sora finished.

"Right. Now, take a guess. Why do you think the Keyblade is called the Keyblade?"

"It's a key, and a blade. What more is there to it?"

Leon sighed, putting a hand to his forehead. "What do keys do, Riku? Your Keyblade can unlock any lock – or lock it again. Every world has a door, and with it a keyhole. Seal the keyhole, and the door can no longer be opened."

"And my Keyblade is the only key that can lock the keyholes."

"Exactly!" Yuffie exclaimed brightly. "You're picking this up quick!"

"I don't know about that," Leon muttered.

"Don't you go starting another argument, Squall."

"That's Leon!"

"Don't you two start," Sora said. "I though _I_ was the one starting arguments with him."

Leon actually managed to crack a faint smile at that.

"The Heartless have a great fear of the Keyblade, Riku," he told him. "That's why they'll keep coming after you. Just putting it away like this isn't going to keep them at bay for long."

"Why me? I didn't ask for it."

"The Keyblade chooses it's master, and it chose you. You could try asking it, but I don't think it'll answer."

The feeling from earlier returned. He stood up, looking warily around.

"What?" Leon asked him, but was waved into silence.

The feeling grew stronger.

"Heartless," Sora said at last. "Ever since the Keyblade chose me, I've been able to feel when they're around, and I can feel them now."

Leon checked the window beside him, while Yuffie dashed out into the hall, warning someone named Aerith about them.

"Nothing out here, Leon!" she called back. "We'll raise the alarm."

Leon didn't answer, and neither did Sora. A Heartless appeared before him, though it differed in appearance to the ones he'd seen before.

Unexpectedly, Maleficent's voice came to him. _"A Soldier. Another kind of Heartless. The ones you've seen so far are mere Shadows."_ Sora quickly glanced to Leon, who seemed not to have heard. _"Only you can hear me, Riku,"_ she told him. _"It's one of the advantages of what I did to your crown."_

Useful. So long as he didn't tell anyone about the source of his information on the Heartless.

The Soldier in front of him looked from Leon drawing his blade, to Sora willing the Keyblade to appear in his own hand, then jumped out the window, smashing it.

"After it!" Leon shouted, almost pulling the door off it's hinges. Sora simply jumped through the broken window, easily clearing the balcony outside and landing in the back street behind the hotel.

More Soldiers were here. "Leave these guys to me," Leon told him. "You find their leader."

Sora nodded, then pushed past the Heartless, brutally smashing aside any Heartless that got in his way as he headed back out into the Second District.

Despite the presence of more Heartless in his path, the feeling grew stronger, but there was no sense of a direction.

He made sure there was no one around, then muttered, "I don't suppose you can give me a few directions, Maleficent?"

"_Third district,"_ her voice responded.

"_What're you doing?"_ another voice burst out.

"_Shut up!" _Maleficent snapped. _"Take the route opposite the hotel, Riku. More Soldiers will be there – defeat them to lure out their leader."_

He took the route she'd pointed out, though he already knew how to reach the Third District, along the way wondering who the other voice had been. It wasn't Jafar, that much was certain. It was definitely more... feminine, with overtones of command to it. And somehow wet, too.

It wasn't any concern of his. So long as Maleficent made herself useful, and didn't try to use him, there was no need to worry over it. Wonder, but not worry.


	4. The First Emergence

There was no sign of either Leon of Yuffie, let alone anyone else. Either the Heartless had claimed them, or they were all in hiding because of the Heartless.

Contrary to Maleficent's advice, the Third District was devoid of Heartless.

From above, a voice called, "Let's go, Goofy!" Sora glanced up to a small ledge, spotting a short duck holding a staff, and a tall dog with a shield. Two Soldiers had appeared before them.

Sora looked to his Keyblade a moment, then sent it spinning through the air toward the Soldiers. It went through both, destroying them, then stuck in the wall behind. With a flash, he summoned it back to his hand.

The two looked at the small nick in the wall where the Keyblade had stuck, then turned to follow where it had come from. Sora paid them little attention – more Soldiers had appeared in this open area. He was vaguely aware of them saying something about a key.

After going through half of the Soldiers that had appeared, he found the two of them had made their way down to help him. He wasn't complaining – the duck seemed to have magic behind him that was almost as effective as his Keyblade.

The last Soldier was set on fire by the duck, bashed toward him by the dog's shield, then smashed to the ground by his Keyblade.

"We've been lookin' for you," the dog told him, now it looked clear.

"Not yet," Sora told him, waving a hand as if brushing something away. "There's something still to come."

"Heartless?"

"I think so."

Something clattered onto the ground nearby.

"Feet?" the duck asked. "That's your Heartless?"

Two more things clattered into view, leaping up into the air after it hit to hover over the feet.

"A pair of hands?" the dog said curiously on seeing them.

Something larger dropped down, bouncing off the feet to hover between the hands, looking like a massive body, then just after it, a helmet banged down on top of it.

"_That_ is the Heartless," Sora told them, then pushed past them to jump onto one of it's hands, then just behind it's head. It started to thrash around, trying to throw him off, while trying to stomp the other two or even just slash at them with the sharp claws on the hands.

He kept hold with one hand, battering away with the Keyblade. It was hard to tell if he was actually doing anything to the massive metal Heartless, besides leaving scratches over it.

The little duck threw fireballs from it's staff, aiming at the hands, while the dog battered away at the feet. When the body bucked, throwing him off, he joined in the attack on the hands as they spun around.

"_Riku!"_ Maleficent's voice snapped. _"Hold out your other hand and take hold of something I'm sending to help you."_

Sora drew back, ducking under the hands as they made another slash at him, holding out the hand as she'd asked. A long but thin black cloud engulfed it briefly, then cleared to show a long sword. It looked like a giant red bat wing, and the handle had what appeared to be a blue eye on it.

"Thanks," he muttered, then returned to the attack, this time on the feet. After the first few blows from both Keyblade and this new sword, one of the feet disappeared, and then the other followed not long after.

The hands came next, not withstanding much with all three of them focused on them. The duck seemed to have run out of magic fire, though the damage by it had already been done. The hands didn't last much longer.

With all the limbs out the way, the body dropped down, floating just off the ground, attempting to ram them.

"Get it's attention!" he told his unknown allies, who quickly moved in front, battering away to try to keep the focus. Once distracted, Sora moved behind and continued his attacks.

With both weapons, it wasn't long before it drew back up into the air, shuddering violently. Then it froze, the helmet fell off, and the entire thing vanished into a kind of tiny whirlwind, leaving behind a large Heart floating into the skies.

Sora willed his weapons to disappear. The Keyblade left in it's usual flash of light, while Maleficent's sword vanished the same way it had come.

"Invigorating," he murmured, then looked back to the two who had helped him. "You said you were looking for me. Why?"

"'cause you've got the Key," the dog explained. "The King said we gotta find the bearer of the Key, and that's you."

"Who is this King?"

"King Mickey," the duck told him. "Hey, I know! Why don't you come with us? We'll go to other worlds on our vessel."

A means of transport. Perfect. But...

"What good would that do me?"

"Go with them," Leon told him, coming into view. "If nothing else, to find your friends."

"If they're out there," Sora replied, looking up to the sky. "Sora and Kairi... if they even made it out of the storm like me."

"We'll find 'em," the dog assured him. "You help us, and we'll help you!"

Sora looked to his face. It seemed locked in a permanently cheerful expression.

"I don't see why not. I'll go with you."

"Donald Duck." A hand was extended.

"Name's Goofy," the dog added, placing his hand on Donald's.

He wanted to tell them he was Sora, but after introducing himself as Riku, and with Maleficent and others watching...

"I'm Riku," he said, adding his own hand to theirs.

"All for one, and one for all," Goofy said. "We'd better get ready to go."

"_Stall them, Riku,"_ Maleficent told him. _"I need to talk to you before you leave."_

"Let me rest for a bit before we go," Sora told them. "I'm a little winded after that fight."

"First thing in the morning then," Donald agreed.

* * *

><p>The three of them had been given a room together at the hotel, complicating the process of reaching Maleficent, but Sora stayed up, keeping an eye on them. Once they were both asleep, he left their room and climbed up onto the roof.<p>

"All right, Maleficent," he murmured. "I'm alone. We can talk."

A green fire appeared nearby, then Maleficent appeared within it as it cleared.

"You didn't tell me the Keyblade had chosen you," she started.

"You never asked," he replied. "What was that sword you sent me?"

"The Soul Eater. It doesn't actually eat souls," she added. "It can only be wielded by one who has felt the touch of darkness without fear. One such as you."

"Huh. Why give it to me if I've got the Keyblade?"

"The Keyblade is a weapon of light, and Soul Eater of darkness. You may need both if you are to travel between the worlds."

"Useful, but how am I going to explain it just showing up?"

"Any way you wish at all."

"What about earlier? I heard another voice when you gave me directions."

"One of the others who works with me. The Heartless, you see, are under my control... until you came along, we had been gathering them. However... I believe it may be more in our interests to have you gain the trust of the King's lackeys, among other people you will encounter, by appearing to counter our plan. That particular one of our number was... shall we say, a little concerned."

"Just what is your plan, Maleficent? If you're enlisting me, I'm going to have to know about it."

"In good time, Riku. Better for your new friends not to find out. Not that I doubt your ability to keep secrets, but I must have some measure of safety."

"Fine – but if you want me to do anything else, you'd better be ready to give something back."

"But of course. I'm by no means unfair. But now, you should return to your room, before anyone finds you missing. We will talk again later."

"Wait... Maleficent... would you... look for my friends?"

"I already am, Riku," she assured him, then vanished the same way she had come. He took that in, wondering idly why Leon and Yuffie had said she wasn't liked or trusted. There was still the nagging feeling something didn't quite ring true about her, but she'd given him no reason not to trust her yet.

It bothered him as he climbed back down and slipped back into bed. Why didn't they like her? What had she done in the past, and what was her plan?

He put the thoughts from his mind, trusting that she'd tell him in time, and settled into sleep.

* * *

><p>It was much later. He got up from the bed, head pounding. It was dark, but he could see everything clearly, though in a world of blacks and whites.<p>

He glanced down, seeing himself. It looked like Sora. No. He was Sora. This was his old look. His old clothes. He looked at a reflection in a handy mirror, and confirmed it, but...

His hair was it's old brown, but in Riku's style, and Riku's greener eyes looked out. Though how he could identify colours without being able to see in colour, he had no idea.

Soul Eater was already in his hand, the one that normally held... normally held... did it hold something else? It wasn't clear.

He almost moved away from the mirror, but something else caught the eye. The crown around his neck. It was black, shiny, but black. It should be... should be... should it have been silver? He couldn't recall. He tried, but nothing came.

He was Sora, he was sure of it, and this blade, it was called Soul Eater... and he recognised this look, and the parts of it that were Riku's... but nothing else.

There was something else. Something he had to do. He looked to the two strangers in the room with him, ensuring they slept. A duck and a dog, both snoring. They wouldn't be any trouble.

The door was pushed open, allowing him to peek out. No one around. Empty hallway. Just what he needed. He slipped out, half crouched as he made his way down, listening at the doors.

Empty room. Empty again. Faint voices...

"We should make sure he's prepared for his journey," one said. It came out fuzzy, as if something were trying to blur it.

"We could talk to the shop owners," a second voice said. "Maybe they'd give him a start."

"They'd still want paying," a third said. "We could put together some of our savings for him to use as he decides."

"But we don't have much," the first one told the third.

"We should all put something in," the second chipped in. "Along with this." Something clinked.

"Right. Do you have a pouch for this munny, Leon?" the third asked.

"Right here," Leon, the first one, answered. "Same one you gave me earlier, Aerith."

Leon. Aerith. That meant the second voice was Yuffie.

What did he have to do... it was so faint, but he knew there was something...

Leon. That big sword he had. He had to get it off him, that was what he had to do. It was so clear now. But it wouldn't be a good idea to just burst in, not with all three of them.

There was some more clinking, then Yuffie said, "That's it. I'll keep it safe for him until morning. You should go get some sleep, Leon."

"I know. Wanted to sort this out first. G'night."

Sora drew back, silently slipping into the next empty room, concealing himself behind the door. Something told him this was Leon's room. Was his blade here? A quick search showed it wasn't. Most probably he kept it on him.

The door opened again, and the light was flicked on as Leon entered, his massive sword resting on one shoulder. Sora silently padded around behind him, keeping out of sight, watching his prey as he paused.

Leon started to turn, so Sora crouched low and kept himself out of sight, then when Leon seemed to shrug off whatever had made him pause, he rose up again, struck the hand that held the sword making it clunk onto the table, then he quickly clamped his other hand over Leon's mouth to keep him from making any outbursts.

Leon struggled against him, but Sora had a firm hold, Leon wasn't going anywhere, or alerting anyone.

"I'll take this," Sora told him, Soul Eater vanishing from his hand as he picked up the sword easily, then brought the flat of it down hard on Leon's head, knocking him unconscious.

He had the blade... now what was it he had to do with it...

His senses flared suddenly, allowing him to hear next door.

"...should ask Leon before he gets settled in." Yuffie again.

Sora took the other door out of the room, onto the balcony. He realised almost as soon as he did so, it had been a mistake.

"Who're you?" Aerith's voice said, surprised. He turned to see her on the balcony next door. "Leon's Gunblade-" she broke off, then turned to face inside the room and called, "Yuffie! Check on Leon, now!"

Sora didn't stick around, quickly leaping over to the next balcony, then down to the alley below, using this Gunblade he'd taken to smash down a wooden barrier over a waterway, quickly heading down into it.

A glance back showed Aerith looking after him – evidently she didn't have anything to hand that could stop him. Yuffie burst out of the same door he'd left by, Aerith pointing her after him.

Sora headed deeper into the tunnels, not hesitating to dive into the deeper waters.

It was dark down here, little to no light from above, except for a small area up ahead. He took a deep breath, then dived down and jammed the Gunblade into the bottom of the darkest patch he could find, using it to stay down on the bottom as he looked up above.

Yuffie, somehow running on the water's surface, bounded past over his head without seeing him. He surfaced as quietly as he could, taking another breath, then dived down again. Moments later, Yuffie came back the other way again, still paying no attention to him.

Did he have to take this Gunblade with him? No, it didn't seem like it. As long as it was kept out of Leon's hands for a time. He left it stuck where it was, surfacing once more and making his way cautiously back out the same way he'd come, pausing at the cusp of the shadows and darkness to look back up at the balconies behind the hotel.

Aerith was still on her own balcony, talking to Yuffie who was on Leon's. There was no sign of Leon. Finally, after a long wait, Yuffie leapt over to Aerith's balcony and followed her inside.

Sora got himself out of the water, finding that after just moments, something had dried him and them completely. Something told him this was nothing to be concerned about.

He was done. He'd done what he'd needed to do. Now he had to get back where he'd found himself. It was a simple matter to locate the right balcony and slip in through the back door.

The duck and the dog were still sleeping, totally unaware of what had happened. Sora nestled into the same bed he'd woken in, settled down, and went back to sleep.


	5. From One World to the Next

Sora was the first to rise that morning, and decided to let his new companions sleep. He wasn't sure how soundly they'd sleep anyway. A short note was left to let them know he hadn't abandoned them.

Yuffie was already up, and by the look of her was patrolling. A large cross-shaped weapon was pointed at him for a brief moment before she realized it was him.

"Good morning to you too," he said, looking down the weapon at her.

"Sorry. We had an attack last night."

"Heartless?"

"No. We don't know who he was, but he knocked out Leon and stole his Gunblade."

"What did he look like?" he asked curiously.

"Just a little shorter than you. Wore red, yellow shoes, had a black and white jacket. Long brown hair, and I'm fairly sure I saw green eyes. He had a crown just like yours," she added, pointing toward his with the weapon. "Except it was totally black."

"Huh... that sounds almost like..."

"Who?"

Like him, before any of this happened. With the opposite of the changes that had happened to him... could it have been Riku? The real Riku that was... or maybe he was the real one since he had Riku's look and had taken Riku's name, and this stranger was the real Sora...

"Like Sora," he finished. "Except... he never had the crown, that's always been mine. If it was him, what is he up to?"

"Beats me. If you find him, be careful of him. It's not easy to take down Leon."

"Where did he go?"

Yuffie shook her head, "You're better off not going after him, Riku. If he can do that to Leon, just imagine what he could do to you." Aerith exited Leon's room, noticing the two. "How is he?"

"Better," she answered. "He wants to look for his Gunblade, but without knowing where that kid went with it, we've nowhere to start." Then she handed a small pouch to Sora. "This is for you. We put together some of our savings to give you a head start."

"There was gonna be a few more things with it, but we kinda used them to get Leon back to health."

"I understand. Would you let..." the names failed him, so he waved toward his room.

"Donald and Goofy?" Yuffie suggested.

"Yeah. Them. Let them know I'll be about in the town?"

"We'll tell them when they get up."

"Thanks."

"Just... come back safely, Riku."

Sora turned back as he started to leave, grinning confidently. "Come on. Me? You really think I'd let anything happen to me?"

* * *

><p>As he wandered through Traverse Town, he started to think on things. What had happened, what had become of him... what he remembered and who he was.<p>

He looked like Riku. Well, alright – except for a few differences.

When confronted by Maleficent, he'd lied like Riku would have, acted like he would have. He'd even given Riku's name instead of his own.

But he knew at heart, he was really Sora. It was Sora that had the Keyblade, that had the crown he'd found on the beach so long before and treasured ever since, Sora that had suggested the three of them share one Paopu fruit together.

As he thought back to their past, he picked up his own memories, Sora's memories, but he also picked up Riku's memories. And they too seemed like his own. Every memory of the three of them, he saw from both points of view. From Sora and Riku's view. There were even memories of Riku's that Sora had no idea about.

He knew he was truly Sora, but after everything that had happened... could he go the rest of the way?

No. He knew who he was – even if everyone else knew him as Riku, he was Sora, and always would be.

His wandering brought him back to the hotel, and the alleyway behind it. The entrance into the waterways had been smashed inwards, with only a few shards of wood left hanging.

Sora paused, looking back to the hotel a moment. Had he passed this way? A nagging feeling suggested he had, but the only times he'd been here before, the passageway had been boarded off. He couldn't have passed this way.

"Riku! There you are!" It was Donald, of course. Up on the balcony from their room.

"Morning," he called back. "I was just looking for Leon's Gunblade. I didn't want to wake you, I hope you didn't mind."

"Of course not." Donald answered.

"Yuffie told us what happened," Goofy added, joining Donald. "Are you ready to go?"

Sora nodded, "Yeah. I'm all set. I just wanted to see if I could help Leon before we left. What about you guys?"

"We're all ready to go, of course."

Sora looked back to the waterways speculatively.

"I don't suppose you've got something that'll dry us off, Donald?" he asked, already thinking ahead.

"Sure I do. What're you thinking?"

"This passage has been boarded off every time I've come through here... except now. The thief could have gone down here. He could still be there, and if not him, then the Gunblade."

"Do we have time to handle this, Riku?" Goofy asked him.

"Think about it, Goofy," he answered. "If we leave, we don't know how long it'll take Leon to find his Gunblade, and who knows what the Heartless will do in that time?"

"_Riku! Leave it!"_ Maleficent told him. Sora ignored her this time, heading into the waterway.

"We'll have to swim to go much further," Donald told him.

"Afraid of getting wet?" Sora asked, then dived in. "It's not even cold."

Donald complained a little about having to get wet, but followed all the same.

"_Riku, I said to leave it! Leon will find his blade on his own. You need to leave this world."_

Sora ignored her again. Something glinted up ahead, reflecting a tiny bit of light.

"Do you guys see that?" he asked them.

"Think it could be Leon's?" Goofy asked him.

"One way to find out," he answered, taking a breath and diving down as deep as he could. He still couldn't make out whatever it was. A few moments groping at it in the dim light down here, and he found a handle. No matter how hard he pulled on it, he couldn't free it, and was forced to come up for air instead.

Donald looked at his empty hands while he regained his breath.

"What was it?"

"I think it's the Gunblade. It's pretty well stuck into the bottom. I'm gonna give it one more go. Give me a hand with this, will you?"

He guided them down into the darker depths, gave it a another check and confirmed it was definitely Leon's Gunblade, then the three of them together pulled on it. It still didn't come loose.

"At least we'll be able to tell them where it is," Sora told them once they hauled themselves back out of the water. Donald dried them off with a bit of magic, while Goofy shook the water out of his shoes. "We can let them know before we leave."

* * *

><p>Wonderland was strange, there was no doubting that. Inhabited by soldiers that were little more than playing cards with hands, feet and a head, ruled by a Queen that didn't listen to anyone, the Cheshire cat, that seemed to make about as much sense as anything else around here... and Alice.<p>

Ah yes, Alice. She'd been put on trial for trying to steal the Heart of the Queen of Hearts. And that meant the Heartless, something of which there was no shortage of in this world. He'd learned from Donald he wasn't supposed to get involved in the internal affairs of other worlds, but it just hadn't seemed right to let the Queen's judgement of 'because I say so, that's why' justify the outcome of 'off with her head' right afterwards.

So then they had attempted to find evidence to support Alice's innocence – despite the presence of Heartless being ample proof in itself – and presented it. The Queen had then added her own evidence, and ordered him to pick a single box.

The box had somehow contained both Donald and Goofy, so naturally she assumed they were the culprits, and so now he had to fight not only alone, but against a literal pack of cards while he destroyed some kind of turret that would lower the cage Alice was held in.

Sora had tried fighting with just the Keyblade, which worked fine against the Heartless. The card soldiers weren't Heartless though, and so he brought Soul Eater into his other hand and fought with both.

The cards were resilient and extremely flexible, but also clumsy. Their spears rarely reached him unless they managed to corner him, and that was readily countered by cutting the ends off their spears.

They didn't seem to get destroyed though – they remained stunned for a time, then got up again. He couldn't seem to cut the cards in half, or any other size, and so instead dealt with them when they got too close and battered away at the tower.

Everything stopped when it was no more. The cage dropped to the ground. The cards looked to the Queen. The Queen looked to the cage, as the two domes over Goofy and Donald were lowered.

The curtain covering the cage was opened. Alice pushed the door of it open and stepped out.

A few moments silence passed before the Queen, predictably, shouted, "Off with their heads!"

"Off with your own head," Sora told her, standing between the soldiers and Alice. "She did nothing, and that's a fact. If you want to find the real culprit, do it yourself." then he turned to Alice and added, "We'll stay with you while you're here, so nothing else happens to you."

"Are you sure, Riku?" Donald asked him.

"If it keeps her from any more trouble like that, why not?"

"He's gotta point, Donald," Goofy said.

"Thank you Riku," Alice said. "Could we go into Lotus Forest first? I think I left something of mine there."

"Of course. And I'm sure the Queen will be only too happy to order her card soldiers aside." Sora glared up at her. "Won't she?"

There was a 'hmph' and an imperious wave of one hand. The card soldiers returned to their positions.

"Why did you help me, Riku?" Alice asked him as they entered the forest. "I don't even know you."

"Do I need a reason to help a lady in need of rescuing?" he countered. "What she was doing was wrong, and she wasn't listening to anyone. At least this way you get out of it safely."

"That's true. I couldn't bear to think what might have happened if you hadn't shown up."

"What about you, Alice? What are you doing here?"

"Me? Well... I was following this white rabbit... then I fell down a rabbit hole and ended up here in this strange place. There was a talking doorknob, and a cat that kept vanishing..."

"Yeah, we met them too... nothing here seems to make sense properly."

Maleficent's voice came to him unexpectedly. _"I see you have kept Alice safe... keep her close by, Riku."_

With the others around, there was no easy way to ask why, or give any sign he'd heard her. At least she didn't seem bothered by his ignoring her back in Traverse Town.

Sora felt his head start to pound, leaving him feeling nauseous. He stumbled slightly, supporting himself against a wall made of leaves.

"Riku? Are you alright Riku?"

"I don't feel-"

Blackness.


	6. Names and Whys

The darkness cleared, showing the monochrome world around him once more. Three people were nearby. Two he recognised – the duck and his dog again, but there was a girl who was also with them. He didn't recognise her. All of them were looking at him, wearing mirrored looks of concern.

"Riku?" one asked, his hearing just as fuzzy as before. It made it hard to identify who was speaking, but it seemed like the duck had said it. "What's going on?"

The girl. He watched the girl intently. There was something about her... something distinctly brighter about her. Let alone that she was the sole thing he could see in full colour.

"Riku?" she asked, looking worried as she backed nervously away from him. "Riku, what is it?"

In a low tone, he told them, "Not Riku," then launched himself forward, picking her up and sending her over one shoulder in one swift motion as he got away from those two. They pursued him, but he was far quicker.

"Let me go!" the girl yelled at him, pounding on his back. He ignored her, leaping up onto a rock so easily that even a monkey would have been put to shame, then over several giant lilly pads in the air, and finally through a hole in the hedge that sent him to the wall of one room. It really was the wall too, as if the room had been turned on it's side. He summoned Soul Eater to his free hand, using it to hook a pot from the floor onto the wall, dumping the girl into it then setting it upright so she couldn't get out without tipping it, and it seemed big enough that it wouldn't tip easy. He had time. Time enough to create a barrier to prevent those two buffoons from catching up to him.

He cast about the room quickly, spotting some books on the shelf nearby. These were shoved aside, moved against the wall and the path he'd entered the room by. Perhaps they'd be able to squeeze through the narrow crack at the top if they managed to climb them, but it was doubtful.

"We'll have to find another way in," a voice came from the other side. Rapid footsteps led away for a time as they left. He paid little attention once they were away, turning back and stalking into the middle of the wall.

"I know you're watching," he growled. "Come on out, wherever you are."

A green flame burst into life nearby, dropping a dark robed figure nearby. He knew this figure, though he couldn't tell why, or who it was.

"The girl?" it asked him shortly.

He went to the pot, smashed it, and dragged the girl from it, oblivious to her struggles to break his grip on her arm.

"Here."

"You've done well, Sora," the robed figure purred. "Hand her to me."

"Give me something first."

"What do you want?"

"What've you got?" They stared each other down, ignoring the struggling girl in Sora's hand. He relented first. "Tell me who I am. Why I don't remember anything, except these two times you've given me something to do. What happens when you send me away afterwards. Tell me."

The figure shook it's head, "I don't have all those answers, Sora. I can tell you your name... but little else."

"Not good enough." He moved the girl behind him. If this figure wanted her, it'd have to do better.

The figure sighed, then continued, "Very well... you remember nothing because the other side of you has all the memories. He sleeps when you wake, and wakes when you sleep. That is what happens when you... go away, as you so bluntly put it."

The girl stopped struggling. "He's really not Riku?" she gasped, surprised. Neither of them took any notice.

"Give me the girl, Sora. I gave you what you wanted."

Sora nodded, pulled hard on the arm until she was beside him, then pushed her the rest of the way and into the waiting hands of the figure.

"Does he know?" he asked as she turned away.

"Does who know, and about what?"

"The other side. About me."

"You mean Riku, and no. It would only upset him. Now then my dear," it said to the girl. "You're coming with me..."

The figure and girl both vanished into another burst of green fire. Sora felt his head throb painfully, sending him to the floor with a groan. Soul Eater vanished from his hand.

The grey world faded to black. He tried to hold on as long as he could, but knew he'd failed when the darkness took him back.

* * *

><p>"Riku! Riku, wake up!"<p>

Sora gave a groan, pushing himself up on his elbows and seeing Donald and Goofy hovering over him.

"Ow... my head... what happened to me?" He looked past them, seeing the Bizarre room – though turned on one side. "And how did I get here?"

"Don't you remember?" Goofy asked.

"I remember... I felt ill... then that's it. What happened?"

"This black cloud thing consumed you, and left someone else in your place," Donald explained. "He said he wasn't you, then kidnapped Alice."

"What? What did he look like?"

"He matched Yuffie's description of Leon's attacker," Goofy said.

"Sora again... but how did he get here? And what happened to me while he was here?" They all drew a blank. "What about Alice? Did you find her?"

"Nope. Just you."

"Best keep this to ourselves, I think," Sora decided. "Are we done in this world?"

"Well... that Cheshire Cat said something about shadows in here... maybe we should have a look into that."

"Can you give me a bit? My head feels like someone's beating it with a hammer."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **In the interests of preventing confusion, a little note. Sora - that is, the real Sora, not the one that's emerged once in Traverse Town and once here in Wonderland - from here on, is Riku. The Sora referred to after here, is the one that keeps emerging periodically.

A little confusing, I know. Hopefully this helps explain it.

* * *

><p>The 'shadows' had turned out to be another giant Heartless, though it was hard to say what it resembled exactly. It hadn't been the easiest to fight, but he had solved that simply by climbing up it, locking his legs around it so he wouldn't get thrown off, then just as he had done for the Darkside, letting loose with the Keyblade on it. This time, he had Soul Eater to add to the mix, and his friends too.<p>

The battle had disturbed the doorknob on the tiny door though, which yawned. Something inside the mouth glinted for just a moment. The Keyblade had reacted to that, and almost as if it had a mind of it's own, it pointed to a thin outline of a keyhole and let out a beam of light.

There had been a click as if something had locked after that. Since then, the Heartless had been fewer in number, and somewhat weaker as well.

Now they were back on their Gummi Ship. He'd tried his hand at piloting it from Traverse Town to Wonderland, but had quickly handed back over to Donald and Goofy. It wasn't that he wasn't good at it... just that he seemed to lack the coordination between the controls and the actual ship moving.

Riku... what was he doing... why had he taken Alice, and where to? And why had he told Donald and Goofy that he wasn't Riku?

At least that last was obvious. Riku had clearly done something similar to him – seen that he had the opposite of what was now his appearance, and decided to take Sora's name as his own. If he was doing that... well, it was only fair. Until he got to the bottom of this, he decided his name was going to be Riku. He wasn't just borrowing it any more. Riku had taken Sora's name, so now he was taking Riku's in return.

So... that still left the question – what was he doing? What had happened to him when Sora had taken Alice, and then left him somewhere completely different.

Riku glanced up at his friends ahead of him, navigating what they called the lanes between. He wanted to tell them the truth, but he couldn't, not with Maleficent watching.

Maleficent... perhaps she'd know what had happened to him. Maybe the crown, that Yuffie said she'd seen Sora with, maybe Maleficent could see what happened to it as well.

As quietly as he could, he murmured, "Can you talk, Maleficent?"

"_I'm here, Riku,"_ her voice responded. _"What is it?"_

"Did you see what happened to me?"

"_I'm afraid not. Even I have to get my sleep, you know."_

"Surely you left someone to watch me in case I needed you."

"_Indeed I did. I'll track them down immediately, find out what happened and find out why they didn't mention it."_

"Thanks. How's your plan going?" he asked suddenly, not really knowing why.

"_Better than expected. I believe soon I may have to give you a small reward for assisting me. When you next gain the chance to be alone, I will see to it."_

"About time. Not to sound ungrateful or anything, but I'm going along with a plan I know nothing about."

"_Understandable. Before you ask, I have no word on your friend Kairi."_

"But you do on Sora?" he pressed.

"_Indeed. He was seen in a world named Deep Jungle."_

"Deep Jungle..." he looked up from the crown, and louder asked, "Hey, guys? Which world are we headed to?"

"Deep Jungle," Donald replied. "Goofy thinks we might see your friends there... I think it's a waste of time though."

"I'm with Goofy. After all... finding my friends is sorta part of why I came along with you. If you're not gonna help me find them, then maybe I shouldn't be helping you."

"Turncoat," Donald muttered.

"Aw, don't be like that, Donald," Goofy said. "We'll find Riku's friends _and_ the King."

"Looks like we're headed the right way," Riku murmured to the crown. "Anything else you can tell me about Sora?"

"_As soon as I find out, I'll let you know. No more talking, Riku – we don't want your friends finding out about this link."_

Maybe he was wrong about Maleficent. For that matter, maybe others were wrong about her. Though... she had yet to impart the slightest part of her plan to him. Maybe it was just as well, for now.

What was she planning to give him as his reward, he wondered. He couldn't see anything. Donald had started to teach him some magic, though he was hardly an apt student. He had the Keyblade and Soul Eater, and with Heartless appearing all the time, he was left with no shortage of targets to practice on. He'd become skilled, if not competent, with them in no time – if he wasn't already.

What was left? Well, he'd find out before long.

"Uh, Donald?" Goofy said. "That's Deep Jungle there. We wanna go there."

"No, we don't!" Donald snapped back. "There's nothing there for us. There are other worlds that we gotta search."

Riku got up, picked Donald off the controls then piloted them toward Deep Jungle.

"We're going to search it," he told Donald. "Because if we don't, we'll probably find it was where we had to go all along."

Donald hopped up, pulling on his arm.

"We're not going!"

"Uh... guys?" Goofy pointed ahead. "I think we're gonna crash!"


	7. Surprises

Riku crashed through the roof of the treehouse, catching a supporting beam on the way down to try and stop his fall only to have it snap under the sudden weight. At least it had given him pause enough to land safely. It looked like the place hadn't been lived in for a while – everything was a wreck, even discounting what he'd caused.

Neither Donald or Goofy were around.

"Great," he muttered sardonically. "Now all I have to do is find everyone again. I assume you're listening," he added. "Where's Sora?"

There was no response this time. Either there was no one back at Hollow Bastion keeping an eye on him, or they were all busy.

"Great," he repeated, then turned to the only exit. A large leopard was barring his path, snarling at him. The hostility toward him was clear.

He almost called on both his weapons, but decided it wasn't really necessary and kept to Soul Eater instead. It flashed into his right hand, where the Keyblade normally was, though he barely noticed this. A weapon was a weapon, it didn't matter to him which one it was or which hand he took it in. He was ambidextrous. Or at least, Riku had been. So now he was too.

"Here, kitty," he murmured with a grin that showed no mirth, letting the leopard stalk closer, trying to circle around him. He followed the big cat's steady, silent steps around, waiting to make his move.

They circled once, then a second time. When it was by the doorway again, he launched himself forward, swinging Soul Eater to bar the leopard's attack as it reared up to scratch at him, then slamming a shoulder hard into it to shove it out. The force of it carried it through the air and over the edge of a wooden balcony. Claws scrabbled at the wood desperately, but he cut the wood it was holding onto, sending it tumbling down after it.

There was an eerie chuckle from behind him, hauntingly familiar. Riku turned quickly to look, but saw nothing.

"Who's there?" he demanded.

There was no response again. No reply, no answer, nothing. It was just him here. Maybe he was just hearing things.

He shook himself, then picked his way along the remains of the balcony, down past some netting beneath the treehouse, and into the jungle below. There was a well-worn path, sometimes through trees, once even over treetops, that showed the way further down to the jungle's floor. Worn as it was, several times he was forced to use Soul Eater to cut out parts of the jungle that barred his path.

Through the thick green foliage, he could just make out some yellow stalks not far away, which turned out to be a large bamboo thicket. He spotted Donald and Goofy being taken out of the thicket by a tall stranger in khaki clothing, though he could not yet see where to. He didn't try to see where it was though – just behind them, emerging from behind some tall rocks was Sora. Looking for all the world like he had before all this started, but naturally with differences. There was no chain at his belt and his brown hair was now styled as Riku's had been. It looked odd on him, and felt strange looking at what had once been himself as others did, but it was undeniably Sora.

He carved through the jungle with renewed effort, barely noticing the camp that the stranger had taken the others to as he ran through toward the bamboo thicket, a large open area surrounded by tall bamboo stalks with only a rock in the middle of the area.

No one was there.

There was another way out opposite him, quickly taken to leave the thicket to a rocky area that was also deserted. Where had he gone?

From behind him, the chuckle came again. He was certain now – it was the same chuckle he'd used to give when he'd been Sora, but... there were differences. It seemed more cold, more calculating. As if Sora were laughing at someone unfortunate simply because they were unfortunate.

But there was still no sign of him, and nowhere else he could have gone, so he turned and started to head back toward the camp in search of his friends. Where had he gone, and what was he doing? Maleficent had said he'd been seen here... but by who? She had an agent here, that much seemed obvious, else how would she have known? He'd track this agent down and find out what Sora had been doing.

Then as he re-entered the bamboo thicket, he realized there was no point. Sora stood on the rock, Riku's Keyblade in one hand. He noticed Sora had a crown around his neck, identical to his own, but the crown was completely black instead of the silver of his own. Even the links had the alternating black and white his own did.

Sora appeared to be examining his Keyblade with interest, but glanced up with a vicious looking smirk when he noticed Riku come into the clearing. Riku tried to summon it back to himself, but it remained in Sora's hand. Sora merely laughed again.

"You don't get it, do you?" Sora asked, amused. "It wasn't meant for you."

"What're you talking about?" Riku demanded. "It appeared in my hand that night!"

"Oh, really? Is that so? Why don't you try remembering that again, and see if it really is your hand?"

"Huh? Of course it's my hand!"

"Are you really sure?" Sora taunted. He tossed the Keyblade to his other hand, checking the newly freed hand. "'cause I think it was this hand. The Keyblade chose a boy called Sora. And that's me."

"But you're not-"

"Not what?" Sora interrupted, the smirk fading to be replaced with a harsh expression. "Not Sora? Not Riku? Not real? I don't care! I'm Sora, and the Keyblade chose me! You..." he looked deploringly at him, then finished, "You're nothing more than a delivery boy."

"I'm still stronger than you, Sora! If you don't give that back, I'll take by force!"

"Oh will you now?" he answered, the vicious smirk coming back again. The Keyblade returned to Sora's right hand. "I wonder if that's true?"

"Riku!" two voices called. Donald and Goofy had turned up at the entrance from the camp. Sora glanced briefly behind him at the two, then leaped up, aiming for the distracted Riku.

Distracted or not, he managed to scramble clear, leaving the Keyblade in Sora's hand to go partly into the ground. Sora yanked it clear and pursued him, taking the offensive with swift but wide swings that left no room or chance to counter-attack.

Riku started to notice a pattern to Sora's attacks, ducking under one strike, then as he rose up he brought Soul Eater up alongside him, using the flat of it against Sora's wrist to try and disarm him even as he shoved back as he had the leopard earlier. Sora was surprised by this, but kept hold of the Keyblade.

Now Riku took advantage of the momentary surprise Sora had shown, disdainfully deflecting the hasty attacks Sora tried to make as he drove Sora back until he backed into a thick wall of bamboo. Riku dropped Soul Eater, took hold of Sora's arm and wrenched the Keyblade off him.

"This is _my_ Keyblade," he growled at Sora, stooping to retrieve Soul Eater with his other hand. "It chose me. It's been with me since I left our island. If you want one, go get your own."

Sora looked stunned, but as Riku turned away to rejoin Donald and Goofy, his eyes narrowed and he swung one hand as if it still held the Keyblade. It flashed out of Riku's hand and back into his own.

"If it's your Keyblade, why does it keep coming back to me?" Sora demanded. "You had to fight me to take it off me, but I can take it back from you just by summoning it. It's mine, Riku. Like I said – you're just the delivery boy... and a thief."

"Oh, come on! You guys will back me up right?" Riku called to his watching friends. "You've been with me since Traverse Town, and I've had the Keyblade the whole time, right?"

"Well... yeah..." Goofy admitted, though he seemed doubtful. "It's just..."

"The King told us to follow the Key," Donald finished. "And if he's got the Key..." he trailed off.

Sora laughed again, "So it looks like they're not even your friends, Riku! What did you think, you could just take my Keyblade and the friends I was meant to make and be a hero?" Sora shook his head, moving to join them. "Why don't you just go find somewhere else to live, Riku? Somewhere that won't mind you opening the door and destroying their world like you did ours?"

The words hit him hard. He knew he hadn't been the one to do it, but he had the memories of it, and he'd told Maleficent he'd done it, and so the guilt hit him as if he had.

"Sora-" he began, but Sora shook his head again.

"C'mon, you guys. I gotta get to know you better."

"But Riku..." Goofy murmured, looking back to him as the three left.

"Forget about that thief. He's always doing that to me."

Then they turned the corner and were gone.

That didn't sound like Sora – not even when he'd been Sora. There was something strange going on here.

"Maleficent?" he murmured, quietly more from shock than any real desire not to be heard. When there was no response he tried again louder. "Maleficent!"

"Gracious Riku, what is all this commotion about?" she asked, her voice coming from behind him. He jumped slightly at the surprise, then leaned back against the bamboo wall. "Is there something wrong?"

"Sora... just took my Keyblade from me," he managed weakly. "The King's... lackeys went with him. They said something about being ordered to follow the Key. Maleficent, without them, I don't have any way of getting around."

"A considerable inconvenience," she admitted. "And most unforeseen... how did he take the Keyblade, Riku?"

"I didn't summon it while I was here... when I saw him here, he already had it. I tried to summon it myself, but it wouldn't respond to me – I had to fight him to take it off him, and afterwards he just took it off me again by summoning it back again."

"I see... Riku, I'm going to ask you something very important, do you understand?" He just nodded mutely. "I need to know if you have been... dishonest with me at all. About anything at all."

"What? No, never," he lied. He didn't want to mention that he still had memories from both Sora and Riku at the islands.

"Very well. I will bring you back to Hollow Bastion with me."

"But what about Kairi?"

"As soon as I have discovered anything about her, I will let you know. Now come... perhaps it is time you met my... associates."

He nodded, allowing the green fire she created to surround him. As it had the last time she'd transported him, the view went green except for him and her, then black, and settled into the familiar view of the room she'd given him in Hollow Bastion.

"Rest first, Riku. If you need anything, just ask. You'll find me in the castle's chapel usually, if not my associates."

"Speaking of associates," a voice said, coming into the room. Riku noticed him as he entered, taller than he was, but not quite as tall as Maleficent. He wore a black coat that almost reached the ground, black boots visible underneath them. The hood of the coat was pushed back to reveal long blonde hair, and deep green eyes. "I believe I'd like a word with the boy."


	8. Allies of Darkness

Maleficent left Riku with his guest, who waited until the door had closed to say anything.

"You are quite the interesting one, aren't you?" he almost purred. "I could learn a great deal from you – if you're of a mind to help me."

"First you can tell me who you are," he replied warily, not trusting this stranger yet.

"Of course... I am known as Vexen... and I have come to an agreement with your friend Maleficent in an attempt to... assist you with your predicament. A predicament exacerbated by your loss of the Keyblade, I might add."

"So what do you want from me?"

"That depends on what you want, Riku," he replied, smirking. "Do you want to find the cause of Sora's strange behaviour, or do you want your Keyblade back?"

"What's the catch with wanting both?"

"To get your Keyblade back, you must first defeat Sora so completely that he is incapable of calling it back to him... which in turn renders him unable to answer the questions you no doubt want to ask him."

The idea of that was rejected immediately. "You want me to kill Sora? I won't do it."

"Oh, you need not kill him, no. It is quite possible that you can defeat him without ever laying a finger on him."

"How?"

"Simple... you've shown yourself to be quite resistant to the darkness, Riku. Command that power and make it your own, and with it you will gain the ability to command the Heartless. Heartless seek hearts, so merely send them to take his and he will become Heartless himself – still alive, but at the same time, incapable of wielding the Keyblade."

"I'll think about it," he replied grudgingly. The idea was hardly better than the first. "What does this get you, anyway?"

"I am a scientist Riku... this will give me valuable research into the darkness and the effect it has on someone such as yourself, let alone a chance to examine the Keyblade itself when you retrieve it."

"Why do you want to know about it?"

"There are many reasons, few of which you would understand. I can see you need time. Merely ask Maleficent to find me when you have come around, and I will return." Vexen held out one hand then, creating a portal of darkness and stepping through. "Don't take too long though," he said as he left. "The longer the Keyblade remains in that boy's hands, the harder it will be to retrieve it from him."

Riku watched him step into the portal, then turned his back on it as it closed after him.

"The darkness, huh?" he mused to himself. "Maleficent said Soul Eater was formed from the darkness," he continued, calling the dark blade into his hand and glaring at it as if it held the answers inside. Was getting the Keyblade back worth using this power? And was the Keyblade worth more than getting answers?

He dismissed Soul Eater and left the room. It was time he learned more about Hollow Bastion and Maleficent's associates.

* * *

><p>Two hours later, he would have admitted he was lost, but he knew exactly where he was. Just not how to get back to his room from here. Someone had moved the books in the library, and blocked off one end of the corridor his room was on, and he had no idea where the other end went.<p>

On the other hand, he had overheard a number of fascinating conversations. The voice that had previously objected to his destroying the Heartless in Traverse Town had been identified as Ursula, who had been brought to Hollow Bastion by Maleficent with a dash of extra enchantment that allowed the sea witch to live out of the water of her homeworld, Atlantica. She had objected because their Heartless population was limited, and losing any did not appear at first glance to be favourable.

Jafar, the snobby voice he had overheard outside his door when he'd first arrived, was from the desert world of Agrabah and had been trying to secure someone known as Jasmine, who was the Princess of Heart for that world. It seemed there were seven such maidens, with only five of them in their possession - Alice was the only recent one, having been brought in apparently by Sora, while the others he did not know how they had been captured – Aurora, Cinderella and Snow White.

This left only the two unknown Princesses, and the only clues they had were that one of them was in a place known as the Beast's Castle. The last one was completely unknown, with no hints or suggestions toward her identity, homeworld or current location.

What he had yet to discover however was the reason behind their gathering of these princesses, or why Sora had given Maleficent Alice – and if that information was true, why was Sora working for Maleficent... and did he know they were both on the same side?

It all appeared to come back to Maleficent. Something hadn't quite rung true about her before, but he'd put off investigating it to go on his adventure in the other worlds, locking the keyholes and defeating Heartless. Now Sora had given him the perfect chance to question her about this.

So instead of finding his way back to his room, he went looking for the castle's chapel instead. There were a number of figures around a table, three of them he recognised as Maleficent, Jafar and Vexen. The remaining ones he did not know, but they appeared to be in some kind of discussion, so he kept to the shadows and listened in.

"What drew the Heartless to that world?" Jafar asked curiously.

"The hunter lured them there," Maleficent answered. "It was his lust for power that was the bait. But it seems the bait was too tasty for his own good."

"Yeah, he got chomped instead!" one of the unidentified figures laughed. In the small light provided by the round table they were stood around, he could make it out to be some kind of animated sack.

"A weak hearted fool like him stood no chance against the Heartless... but your boy is a problem, Vexen. He found one of the Keyholes, just as Riku had."

It sounded like they were talking about Sora, but... what was this about him being Vexen's boy?

"He's just doing what he's meant to," Vexen replied in a superior tone. "If you don't like it, take it up with Maleficent."

"Fear not. It will take Sora time to find the rest. And time is something we have an abundance of. Come, join us Riku. It is about time you became aware of our design, and a part of out plans."

He joined them at the table between her and Vexen, who gave him a briefly satisfied glance before turning back to the table. On it's surface was what appeared to be a map, showing the various worlds. The ones he had been to were on there, along with more that he hadn't. There was an additional marker that showed Sora's current position.

"Who're your friends?" he asked Maleficent, glancing round the table.

"True, you have not yet been formally introduced to them. You know of course of myself and Vexen. Our oily friend here is Jafar, the Grand Vizier of Agrabah. Captain Hook, who's ship can travel between worlds, but originates from Neverland." The pirate captain raised his sword slightly at the mention of his name. "Oogie Boogie, from Halloween Town," Maleficent went on to identify the sack he'd seen earlier. "Hades, God of the Underworld, a part of Olympus Coliseum."

"Not for much longer if I have my way," Hades butted in. "That Coliseum will be mine if I can just get rid of Hercules."

"Patience, my friend," Maleficent cooled him. "And last of all here, Ursula."

"I've heard of you," Riku said. "You're the one who disagreed when I started destroying Heartless."

"I wouldn't have had a problem with it if she'd told us about you in advance!" Ursula complained.

"There was no time for that," Maleficent replied smoothly, totally unconcerned. "There was an opportunity, and I moved to exploit it while it remained. Notice how now, we have the Keyblade Master's attention focused on locking the Keyholes of only the worlds he believes he can reach, allowing us to turn our own attention on our own ends."

"What's the point?" Hook snapped. "We should be looking for the last two princesses, not wasting Heartless!"

"And just _where_ do you plan to look, dear captain?" Ursula demanded. "You claim to be searching Neverland for the last Princess, but have turned up absolutely nothing."

"You can't hardly talk!" Oogie told her. "You've not come back with anything either!"

"Enough of this!" Maleficent snapped. "It took us time to reach as far as we have. We must continue to be patient. We only have three Princesses left to retrieve, and we know the location of two of them."

"Well why don't you send the kid there to go finish the jobs?" Hades suggested. "Give him something to make him feel useful."

"Hold on a moment there," Riku said, finding his voice again at last. "I've got my own goals I want to achieve, and if any of the rest of you want something from me, you better be ready to pay me back for it – in advance, too."

"Now, Riku, we all work together here," Maleficent told him. "You wouldn't ask me for something in return, would you?"

"Don't bet on that. I've gone along with everything you've asked of me so far without question because it got me closer to Sora and Kairi. But now Sora's got my Keyblade and I want it back, and I want Kairi back." He glanced to his left at the still smirking Vexen, and continued, "The way I see it, Vexen's the only one to offer even a suggestion to help me, let alone actual help. So the same goes for you too Maleficent. You want my help? You give me something back. I don't care which of you is doing the asking."

A silence spread around the table. Apparently this hadn't been the response they'd expected from him.

"So... a mercenary boy, huh?" Hades mused to himself. "I think I might be able to work with that."

"Forget it," Riku replied. "You probably don't even have anything I want on offer. Anyway, Vexen has first choice. He beat you all to me."

"You've decided to accept the darkness then?" Vexen asked curiously.

"It'll help me get what I want," he shrugged. "Unless there's something you're not telling me about it, there doesn't seem to be any catch to it. I don't see any reason not to."

"Be careful with the darkness, boy," Jafar warned. "Steep yourself in it for too long and it'll consume you."

"The boy is more than capable of fending that off," Vexen insisted. "Though I cannot fathom why as yet... I feel certain some experiments will answer that for us. If you'd care to assist me?" he asked Riku.

"Depends what you want from me."

"Might I suggest you two go elsewhere?" Maleficent said. "Perhaps somewhere that furthers our goals?"

Vexen paused to consider this, tapping his chin thoughtfully. "I believe the Beast's Castle will provide a perfect place for our activities. Come, Riku. We shouldn't waste any time."

He created another portal nearby, this time gesturing for him to enter it first. Riku didn't hesitate to step in.


	9. Lost and Found

Vexen's corridor exited into a large and completely empty ballroom. The night sky outside told him louder than words it was night here. It had been almost midday when he'd left Hollow Bastion, so clearly different worlds held different times.

"Well now, it seems my first suspicions were correct," Vexen remarked, examining him. "The corridor has had no effect on you in the slightest. Most curious."

"What would have happened if you'd been wrong?"

"In the unlikely event I had been, you'd be feeling... under the weather. But obviously you are not, and we can proceed. This world contains a number of Heartless that Maleficent provided specifically for the purpose of acquiring the Princess of Heart that resides here. However, they have not succeeded in this task, and have taken many losses. Now you are here, you can take charge of the situation and also begin to make use of the darkness at the same time."

"And what about you?"

"Me?" Vexen chuckled. "I am here simply to advise you and examine you as you make use of the darkness, Riku. Seldom does anyone get the chance to see the effect it has on such a resistance soul as yourself. A great deal of valuable research can come from this. Of course, if you feel you need assistance I may be inclined to provide it, but I'm confident in your capabilities."

"What's the significance of the Princesses, Vexen?"

"They each hold a heart of purest light, untainted and indeed untouchable by the darkness. When gathered together, they have a great power. Perhaps even enough to unlock the Keyhole of Hollow Bastion, thus providing all those who command the darkness with power unimaginable. And if you take up the darkness, you too will share in that."

"Yeah. But what's the good of that?"

"You want to get your Keyblade back, don't you? And this... Kairi that means so much to you as well, no doubt. Both are unique, and if lost cannot simply be replaced. That is why you must defeat Sora to reclaim your Keyblade."

The idea still didn't appeal to him, but there didn't seem to be much choice. Sora wasn't listening to reason, and would probably attack him again if he tried to confront him, and if he was going to end up in a fight with Sora, he wanted the upper hand.

Riku started to think ahead as he started toward the large doors at the far end of the room.

"What do we know about this place?" he asked Vexen.

"Called the Beast's Castle because of its beastly owner. The only other inhabitant is the human we seek, though the Heartless have sometimes been observed going after some ornaments as if they had hearts."

"I think we'll start by putting a stop to that," Riku decided, shoving hard on one door of the ballroom. It didn't budge, irritating him. He felt something building up, then a second shove sent the door swinging inwards enough to make the hinges crack slightly at their limit.

"No need to overdo it," Vexen murmured. "I doubt the Beast would look favourably on our unwarrented entry, but to be damaging his castle as well..."

"If he gets in the way I'll just get rid of him," Riku replied dismissively, looking around at the entrance hall. Not a soul in sight, not even a Heartless around. He spotted a movement in the corner of one eye though, glancing sharply up to the staircase on his left, then starting up it. Vexen followed curiously, though said nothing.

The hallway at the head of the stairs was empty, with only one door at the far end. There was nowhere else to go, no escape, so he started down it purposefully, Soul Eater coming to one hand with an absent thought. Vexen called on an icy shield similarly, though he did not hold it ready to use just yet.

Riku tried the lock on the door, then pushed. It was unlocked, but something was holding it closed so he listened at it instead. He could hear someone breathing heavily on the other side. Vexen was beckoned nearby.

"Make sounds as if we're walking away," he breathed, only just loud enough for him to hear. Vexen looked puzzled, but did as he'd asked, then came back again on silent feet. The breathing had gone now, so he shoved the door open.

A woman in an orange dress was stood on the opposite side, stepping away from him in surprise.

"I don't know who you are," she told them ominously, undermined by a shaky fear in her voice, "But you'd better leave. He'll be coming as soon as he knows you're here."

"If you mean the Beast," Riku replied, noticing annoyance flicker over her features at the word 'Beast'. "He'll fare no better than you if you don't cooperate. Are you Belle?"

"Who's asking?"

"Don't be tiresome."

"Riku," Vexen murmured. "There is only one human occupant remember."

"Good point. Don't bother answering. You're coming with us." He started to approach her, but she backed away again and into a dressing table. "Don't be silly. You won't be harmed."

"No," she said in a low tone. "You will!" A hand was brought around sharply, and something collided with the side of Riku's head with a bang, followed by another one then footsteps hurrying away. When his head cleared, she had gone and Vexen was holding his own head in his hands. On the floor nearby was a metal serving platter, now with a pair of dents in.

Riku muttered a few complaints under his breath then headed back the way he'd come, not bothering to wait for Vexen. She couldn't have gone far, not in that dress.

A glance back into the ballroom showed it was empty, leaving four rooms in the lower part of the entrance hall and the stairs up to the other wing still to search. He waited for Vexen, then directed him to search those four rooms and outside, while he took to the other wing.

Here at last he saw some Heartless milling around. Shadows and Soldiers, along with several varieties he hadn't come across before. They appeared to ignore him, searching along the back wall for something. An idea came to him.

"Maleficent, are you listening?"

_"She is unavailable right now,"_ the voice of Jafar came to him. _"Perhaps I can be of assistance?"_

"I need to know what happens to the people in a world if the Heartless consume that world's heart."

_"Most go into the darkness, but those with exceptionally strong hearts may make it to other worlds."_

"Would one of these Princesses qualify?"

"Undoubtedly. If you are planning to find the heart of that world, give up. We have searched for it before."

"I'm betting you never paid any attention to the Heartless though. I think I know where it is, I just have to find the door."

Jafar didn't reply.

As he got closer to the Heartless, they turned on him.

"Cut that out," he told them sharply. "Just keep on looking for this world's heart."

They turned back to the wall.

"I thought so," he murmured, then examined them further more of them seemed focused on the middle of the wall. Carvings separated the wall into smaller chunks.

He thought back into the memories of Riku on Destiny Islands and saw how he'd opened the door. All he'd done was run the fingertips over the crack that was the edge of the door and willed it to open.

If the carvings here marked the edge of the door, then the same thing should work here.

"Out the way," he ordered the Heartless absently, then gave it a try. Where his fingers passed there was a faint white line, and once he'd traced the entire door a handle and a keyhole appeared too. He didn't open it just yet though – Vexen needed to be warned.

That turned out to be unnecessary, as he turned up alongside him just moments later.

"I think that proves you know how to command the Heartless," he remarked. "Not so the darkness just yet though. In time though. Go ahead – open the door."

"Won't you be affected?"

"Me? No. We'll have time enough to leave before this world is consumed."

Riku nodded, then heaved open the door. Beyond it was black, but with a single pulsing white light The Heartless swarmed it, making the pulses weaker and the light dimmer. Vexen opened a corridor for them to leave, but he stayed, fascinated by the sight. This had not been in the memory of the door opening.

Vexen pulled on him insistently, returning them to Hollow Bastion. Belle would turn up somewhere there. In the centre of their power, there was nowhere to hide there. Now only Jasmine and the unnamed Princess remained.

A nagging guilt suggested what he'd done had not been the right course of action, but something else told him it was only natural – the world had been heading for the darkness anyway, he had merely sped it along.

He did not like the sound of this new something. It hadn't been there before, and it seemed almost too friendly.

* * *

><p>Belle had been captured by late evening, though not by him. He had chosen to go back to his room to eat. Maleficent's friends weren't entirely the kind of company he was content with sharing. Like her, they didn't quite ring true, but in their case it was not hidden at all. Maleficent at least appeared to be sincere with him.<p>

_"Riku, Captain Hook has found something that you need to see,"_ Maleficent's voice told him. _"If you join me in the chapel, I will send you on to his ship."_

"Just tell him I'm coming," Riku answered to the otherwise empty air. "I think I know how to create the portals like Vexen did."

"As you wish. You may also be interested to know Sora is currently in Traverse Town. But if you plan to confront him, you should stop by with Hook first."

Riku nodded, then concentrated. A portal started to appear nearby but spluttered out. He focused again, this time managing to maintain it. It was still an effort to hold it, but he kept it open long enough to reach the deck of Hook's ship.

He didn't have to find the captain to see what he'd found. Lying against some sandbags was Kairi, unconscious. His heart seemed to pull toward her when he saw her.

"Where have you been, Kairi?" he asked her.

"We found her when we went looking for that little brat Peter," Hook told him.

"Local boy," another voice explained. "He causes trouble for us fairly often."

"No matter. Don't let anyone take her back... just keep her very safe... and remember I owe you for finding her. Don't call that in lightly, because you'll have to earn another favour from me." He brushed aside a few stray hairs from Kairi's face, then murmured, "I'll come back for you. I promise. But first I have to find out what's up with Sora."


	10. Return to Traverse Town

The corridor he created to take him to Traverse Town was considerably more stable than his last one, though his aim was slightly off. He dropped down onto the roofs of the shops opposite the hotel.

Sounds of fighting came from below, including the familiar sounds of Donald and Goofy. He cautiously made his way to the edge of the roof and looked down to see Sora with them, fighting Heartless with his Keyblade. They were occupied for now. He could find out what else had been happening instead.

Taking care not to get seen by Sora or his former friends, he made his way down from the rooftops until he could retrace his original steps back into the Third District. He hoped he'd be able to find Leon at least in the First District, but with Sora busy in the second he'd have to go through the Third to reach it unseen. Even then, the sounds of their fighting Heartless grew closer, forcing him to hurry onwards before he was discovered.

This long route turned out to be completely unnecessary. When he passed the house just inside the Third District, he spotted Leon inside accompanied by Cid, Aerith and Yuffie, so let himself in. They all looked up when he came in, recognising him instantly.

"Riku!" Yuffie exclaimed, hugging him. "You're alright!"

"Of course I'm alright," he replied, disentangling himself from her. "Why, has someone been going around telling you I'm not?"

"We saw your friends, along with Sora," Leon explained. "Sora claims to have no memory in the slightest of stealing my Gunblade that night, but Aerith is certain. It's definitely him."

"I thought you were the one meant to be holding that Keyblade, Riku," Cid said almost accusingly. "What's he doing with it?"

"He took it off me," Riku muttered darkly. "Said it was meant to go to him then just summoned it. Went straight to him. Now he's running around with the King's... friends playing the Hero while I'm cut out of everything." Remembering their attitude toward Maleficent, he didn't want to mention that she and her associates had been working with him, and he with them. "I managed to find my way back here," he went on. "Not that it does me any good. No Gummi Ship, no Keyblade, no Kairi and nothing to work with. Even Sora isn't talking to me any more, if I go near him he'll just attack me."

"Sounds like you caught one hell of a bad break," Cid remarked. "I'd like to help you out kid, but I don't see anything we can do."

"You could find out why Sora's turned so nasty on me. He'll probably talk to you so long as you don't mention you're friends with me. If he does ask what I'm doing, just tell him I'm looking for Kairi."

"Where will you start looking?" Aerith asked him.

"I don't know. I'll think of something. I'm going to see if I can get through to Sora again, but most probably it'll just end badly again. Come watch if you want, but I wouldn't get involved."

"Be careful, Riku," Leon murmured. "Fighting alone isn't as easy as it sounds."

"Don't worry about me, Leon. I've got other things to back me up if I need to."

Then he left and headed down the steps into the Third District itself. Sora's fighting had been headed this way, it was only a matter of time before he showed up. With the darkness he now had on his side, he could feel the Heartless nearby. He found he didn't have to speak aloud to command them, exerting his will over them just by thinking about it. A small gathering of various Heartless started to build up behind the walls, just out of sight, held there by his will. Some few resisted, drawn by his own heart that they wanted to consume, but he was able to hold them in check.

Sure enough, Sora came in from the Second District. He didn't appear to notice Riku at first, instead stopping by the same small house he had. Riku waited patiently. He'd come out soon. When he finally did, he was talking with Donald and Goofy.

"It's simple logic, right? If the Keyblade just keeps coming back to me, surely that suggests it should have been mine all along, right? I mean, why else would it come to me over him?"

"I dunno," Donald replied. "We don't know much about it either. The King just told us to follow the Key."

"And now you got the Key, so we're with you," Goofy agreed as they came out into the plaza before the fountain.

"I guess you'd rather not mention turning on your own friend when it was stolen from him," Riku said. He'd turned to face away from them before they came into sight. "I thought friends were meant to stick together... but if you'd rather go with a thief than a friend... I question whether your friendship is really worth anything."

"Don't you ever give up, Riku?" Sora asked him harshly. "The Keyblade came to me. You took it off me, and it still came back to me. It's my Keyblade, it always has been. Can't you get that into your head?"

"So now that you have it, you're too cool to be seen with me, is that it? You don't want to be seen with some lowlife like me, so you just turn me away. We used to be friends, Sora. What happened to that?"

"Why don't you look in the mirror, Riku – it was you that took the Keyblade from me. You're the thief here, and no one likes a thief. Why should I trust you after that?"

"Because you're wrong!" he snapped, turning sharply. "I remember the night of the storm perfectly – the Keyblade appeared in _my_ _hand_! Mine, do you hear! I was the one it chose, I was the one who went around locking Keyholes and fighting Heartless! All you did was take Alice from us in Wonderland and hand her over to Maleficent!"

Sora looked surprised at this. "Uh... Riku? I don't know any Alice... and I've never been to Wonderland."

"Ask them!" he shouted after only a short pause, waving toward Donald and Goofy. "They were there when it happened, they were the ones who saw you do it!"

"We did see it," Goofy agreed. "But Sora doesn't remember it at all..."

"And we saw you turn into him," Donald added. "How do we know that wasn't just you trying to frame him, huh?"

"What? But- Oh, come on. Sora is my friend... or he was, at least," he conceded. "I'd never do that to my friends."

"Yeah, sure," Sora said, unconvinced. "Whatever you say, Riku. I bet you don't even know what you're gonna do now."

"Sure I do. I'm gonna find out what happened to Kairi. I bet you haven't even thought of her since the storm happened."

"Uh... that's not true," he covered quickly. "I've been worried about her too."

"Of course you have. See you around, Sora," he said, opening a new corridor back to Hook's ship. "Just mind you don't get in my way."

He noticed Sora had seemed more surprised by the corridor than the news of Kairi. It didn't matter too much to him, Sora clearly didn't want anything to do with him any more. He didn't feel any friendship for his former friend any longer, so as he left, he willed the collected Heartless to attack Sora. He doubted they'd manage to turn him into a Heartless, but if they did... well, getting his Keyblade back could only help him now.

The question now was, what could he do about Kairi? She'd seemed to be in some kind of deep sleep, completely unresponsive. He didn't dare take her to Hollow Bastion himself, not if the darkness had a chance of harming her. He'd have to get Hook to take him there in the ship, and no doubt he'd want something back in return. He already owed the pirate captain one favour... what else might he ask for?

Nothing for it but to ask. As he exited onto the ship's deck, he felt his heart seem to tug again, this time toward the captain's cabin. It was as if it reacted to Kairi's presence. At least he'd have trouble losing her as long as they didn't stray too far from each other.

Kairi was laid out on a low couch just behind the door when he entered, and Hook along with one of his cronies were at a desk.

"You could at least knock," Hook complained.

"I told you I'd be coming back," Riku shrugged. "I need to get her to Hollow Bastion. When do you next stop by there?"

"The way things are going, not until we get that girl away from Peter!"

"Wendy," the crony explained. "She came here with him, and now the captain wants to use her to get back at Peter Pan."

"Just send some Heartless to go and retrieve her."

"We've tried that!" Hook snapped peevishly. "Stupid brat keeps getting her back to safety again."

"I could go. I do owe you a favour."

"Don't bother. Pete's already there trying to get her."

"Pete?"

"One of Maleficent's lackeys," the crony explained again. "He's going around trying to gather a Heartless army to add to our own for her. We got him to help us out by getting the girl for us."

"Suit yourself. I'm going back to Hollow Bastion for a bit. I want to see if I can do anything about Kairi's condition."

"Condition? Is she sick?"

"You imbecile, Smee," Hook sighed. "She's just unconscious. Anyone can see that."

"And I'm trying to find out why she won't wake up," Riku added as he left.


	11. The Two Princessess

Hollow Bastion's library had been searched exhaustively for any sign that would lead him to the cause and possible solutions for Kairi's comatose state. Through it all, he'd had to put up with the too-friendly voice trying to make him let go of her and try to follow the same goal Vexen had – defeating Sora, and taking his Keyblade back. The voice had been steadfastly ignored so far, but since he'd returned to lounging in his room, it had started to say things that made it hard to ignore.

_-All you have to do is bring her here-_ it told him. _-It wouldn't harm her.-_

"She's already on the way here," Riku answered the voice. "I just have to be patient." He knew what the voice was suggesting, but wasn't going to risk it.

_-A corridor would have no effect, and would give you what you want. You know I'm right.-_

"You're probably just some figment of my imagination. It doesn't matter if you're right or not. I'm not going to risk it."

_-But in bringing her here, you would discover her nature. What it is that has protected you from the harmfulness within the darkness. And more besides, but who am I to tell all to you? Surely you would rather discover for yourself, than to hear it from what you believe is simply yourself?-_

"There's only one thing that could be," Riku replied. "And I doubt it's that."

_-So certain, and yet you have yet to find out if it is true or not.-_

"What do you expect me to do, drag her through a dark corridor and see what it does to her? What if you're wrong?"

_-Would I suggest doing that to the one you both hold closest if I did not think I was correct?-_

"Both? What do you mean, both?"

_-You are not aware of the implications of what you shared with the girl Kairi. The knowledge would not gain you anything significant. Concentrate on the girl, Riku. She is the key.-_

"What you're suggesting... it's not possible. Kairi's no princess."

_-Are you so certain of that, that you will not take the chance and bring her here? What do you have to lose? Unconscious, the darkness may leave its mark but not harm her if wrong, but if right then you discover the last princess. Bring her here, Riku. Bring her to her brethren, and unlock the final Keyhole. Power unimaginable will be yours if you will but do this small thing for me.-_

"Oh, it's for you now is it?What happened to it being for her, me and my Keyblade?"

_-To unlock the final Keyhole, you must restore her to her previous state, awakening her – a goal you wish to achieve. Your Keyblade is not as irreplaceable as you have been led to believe. Reunite all the Princesses of purest Hearts, and I can give you back your Keyblade.-_

"What if I want _my_ Keyblade back off Sora, huh?"

_-Then that can be arranged once you have brought them all here. You need only bring her and the Princess from Agrabah to Hollow Bastion, before the world's Keyhole, and all will be within your grasp.-_

Riku didn't answer the voice. It was as bad as Vexen – right, but offering solutions that didn't appeal to him. He hadn't wanted the darkness in the first place, but... first Maleficent had given him Soul Eater, a weapon of the darkness itself, then he'd turned to that same darkness when Sora had taken his Keyblade...

"And now I'm leaning toward unleashing even more darkness just to get it back," he murmured, continuing his line of thought aloud. "Do I really want to do this?"

The voice made no further comment, but he caught the strong feeling that it was somehow satisfied, as if it knew he was likely to go through with this.

Like Maleficent, something didn't seem quite right about it. Unlike her, who only appeared to be concealing the truth from him, this voice seemed more manipulative, almost like a trap to lure the unwary fly. And he was that fly. What did the voice _really_ want?

Riku left his room, heading for the chapel. He'd fetch Jasmine first. She was the last free Princess if this voice was correct, and the one Sora was most likely to come across. He had to know where Sora was, and how long he had to get Jasmine out of that world. Once she had been secured, he could take his time with Kairi in case the voice was wrong about the effect of a corridor on her. He did not want to risk her, not least because the voice was right about one thing – she was close to him, the most important figure in his life. Memories from the islands, from both Sora and Riku told him that they both held her close, and she them.

But something else nagged at him as he made his way to the chapel. '...the one you both hold dear...' the voice had said. Both – as if there were two. It could have meant Sora, but then afterwards the voice had mentioned something about sharing with Kairi.

"The Paopu?" he wondered out loud. Both Sora and Riku had shared one with her. Could this all be the effects of that one fruit? No one had said anything about three sharing one; it had always been about what would happen with only two people sharing a Paopu.

"Ah, Riku," Maleficent said as he entered the chapel. "Good timing. I was just about to ask you to join us."

It had disrupted his line of thought, but caught his attention.

"What do you need me for now?" he said, glancing to the large table they used both as a map, and to keep watch on Sora. It showed him fighting Heartless at the gates of a desert town.

"Not me," she replied. "Jafar. Sora has arrived in Agrabah, and he has yet to secure the Princess there. He has offered-"

"Never mind his offer," he interrupted. "This one's on me. Does Sora know about the Princess there?"

"Not yet," Hades replied, appearing at the far side of the table. "I could sure have used your help in the Coliseum, kid. Sora walked right over everything I had planned for him."

"You should have made an offer then," Riku shrugged. "I don't work for nothing, not unless it gets me something I want. Where's Jasmine?"

"Ask Jafar," Hades suggested. "He went back to that world as soon as he heard Sora had arrived."

Riku grunted, then opened a new corridor. "If he calls in, tell him I'll be stopping by to retrieve her. Just her though, anything else then he can make his offer."

"And what does this gain you?" Maleficent asked him with a curious expression.

"It gets me closer to my own goals," he shrugged, then stepped into the Agrabah bound corridor. He had no idea where it would end up, for all he know it could open right in front of Sora, but it didn't matter.

It did not in fact open in the vicinity of Sora, though the sounds of the fight he'd seen in the chapel's table came to him easily. Sora was close, no doubting that.

As for him, he guessed with the imposing doors nearby and the ornate structure behind them, he wasn't far from some kind of palace. There were no people around, and no Heartless either. There were some fighting Sora, but with the Keyblade in Sora's hand, any command he could have tried to give them would be ignored while this close.

Someone came running toward the palace, watching over their shoulder as if running from something. She had dark skin, long black hair that shone in the desert sun, and wore a curious blue outfit he'd not seen the like of before. Could this be the elusive Jasmine? Perhaps a little creative lying could solve that...

He moved to intercept her, catching her in his arms.

"Easy there," he said. "You almost ran into me."

"Oh! I'm sorry, I was... distracted."

"So I noticed. What are you running from?"

"That Jafar," she said, almost snarling the name. "He keeps trying to take me back to the palace, saying it's for my own good, but I know better."

"So what's the fighting back there all about?"

"Some kid calling himself Sora showed up and caused a distraction so I could run for cover."

The doors behind creaked open, and Jafar walked out.

"Ah, Riku," he almost purred. "Come to take up my offer?"

Jasmine got loose from his arms, backing apprehensively away. Riku turned to give Jafar a meaningful look as he said, "No, and I'm not going to either. I'm amazed you even had the audacity to try and make me an offer."

Jafar was far from stupid, and understood his subterfuge immediately.

"Very well. I had hoped otherwise... but if that is your wish, so be it. Heartless!" he called, surrounding them both.

"Jasmine – stay near me," he told the startled Princess as he called Soul Eater into one hand. "I'll protect you from them."

Startled or not, she appeared to believe what she'd seen and trusted him enough with this to avoid the Heartless while he started to defeat them. Mostly he held them back, making it appear harder than it really was as he didn't want to diminish their supplies of Heartless.

That problem was solved by the arrival of Sora and company, who seemed at first wary of what they saw, but then when they realized Riku appeared to be fighting the Heartless, sided with him to take them on. Seeing the apparent alliance between him and Sora, Jasmine seemed to lose any doubt that they were on the same side.

During the fray, Jafar somehow managed to snag a lamp from a local that had accompanied Sora. His first wish was to have the princess brought to him, whereupon she was dropped into a nearby pot. A bit of Jafar's own magic turned that pot and every other with it into one long centipede. Naturally, Sora started fighting with it, allowing Riku to slip out during the commotion and find Jafar. He hadn't made himself hard to follow, having used a similar corridor to his own ones, but less harmful to him. It was a simple matter to follow it to its destination.

It took him to the inside of a cave. Set in the back wall was a giant keyhole.

"You took your time," Jafar remarked, unsurprised at seeing him.

"I had to keep up appearances," he replied. "I'll take the Princess on back to Hollow Bastion with me."

"Not so fast. If she simply disappears like this, your friend Sora will begin to wonder what I've done with her. If however he sees here alive here before he and I fight, then her disappearance during the fight will throw off his suspicions."

"Does it really matter what he thinks?"

"These are simply what Maleficent thinks would be best for the situation, Riku. I must admit I had not counted on your help, however. Particularly not without recompense."

"Like I told Maleficent, getting this Princess is on me. Anything else, pay for like the rest."

"So you'll cooperate?" Jafar persisted.

"For now," Riku answered. "Unless it suits me to do otherwise. Don't find any reason to need my help, Jafar. My primary interest here is the Princess, nothing more. I'm not here to confront Sora again or do your work for you."


	12. Dark Truths Discovered

During the time they had before Sora inevitably arrived, Riku and Jafar had come up with a plan that would not only keep Sora from being suspicious about either of them being involved in her disappearance, but perhaps go some way toward healing the rift that had grown between them. The voice told him this was unnecessary, and that Sora was just an obstacle to be eliminated before he grew too powerful, but Riku ignored it.

Now they waited opposite each other, Jafar in front of the keyhole-shaped alcove with Jasmine laying unconscious at his feet, and Riku on a raised outcrop on the far side. There were two similar outcroppings of rock half way between the two of them, both opposite each other on the edges of a domed circular room.

They'd discovered the room was heated by a larger cavern underneath, empty but for a lot of lava. Jafar had added a few moving platforms in there, citing it as a part of his plan but not explaining. Riku didn't bother to press him for answers. It wasn't relevant to his part of the plan.

Riku's focus was not on Jafar though, not yet. He was listening to the cavern behind, reluctantly using the darkness to push his senses past their normal limits. It was still hard work, and the voice told him his reluctance was what was holding him back, but he could make out what he needed to know. When he judged Sora was close enough, he stopped listening, called Soul Eater into one hand and nodded to Jafar. The signal that their act was about to begin.

As footsteps echoed louder behind him, Jafar sent a large, though deliberately underpowered fireball his way. Riku brushed it easily aside as Sora and his friends pulled into the cavern behind them.

"Give up, boy," Jafar told him. "You can't stand against my magic forever."

"Don't be so sure," Riku replied. "I can do this all day."

Sora came up beside him, Keyblade in hand already.

"What are you doing here?" he asked Riku shortly.

"About time you showed up. I was starting to think you weren't interested in saving Jasmine at all."

Jafar laughed, "Bring all the help you want, Riku. You can't stop me, not now I have the magic lamp." The lamp, which Jafar had told him contained a genie, was brought out to display. With it, the genie himself appeared, a blue apparition that did not look happy about being enslaved by Jafar. "Genie! My second wish. Crush these fools!" Riku listened a little closer and heard the muttered additional command he gave, "Except for Riku. Leave him alone, and concentrate on the others."

The genie was not happy about this, continuing to apologise every time he attacked either Sora, Donald, Goofy or the still-unknown local that had come with them. Riku joined them in their attack of Jafar, though he didn't really try to harm him too much, and similarly, Jafar did not put all his magic behind the attacks on him. It was the act of a fight between the two of them. Riku did not want Sora to think he was that useful he should go with them, preferring that they did the most of the work.

Finally they all fell back, with Jafar pretending to be too badly hurt to go on. Sora's typical softness in the face of this would have costed him if it hadn't been part of the plan. His enemies were the kind to take advantage of it.

Jafar had created and continued to maintain a barrier over Jasmine, preventing everyone from reaching her before Sora reached them, but now deliberately made it began to flicker as if failing.

"Just give up, Jafar," Sora told him. "You don't stand a chance."

"So you think," he snarled. "Genie, my final wish – make me and all-powerful genie!"

Riku knew what to do. He kept to the outside edge of the cavern, knowing the middle of it would collapse to drop everyone else down onto Jafar's platforms. As this happened, Sora looked up to him, apparently concerned for him, but Riku kept back out of sight and waited.

"He cannot help you now, boy!" Jafar boomed. "He was no match for my power. And now it is you who will feel my wrath!"

That was the signal. Sora would believe Jafar had done something to him and focus on getting rid of him, Jafar had dropped the barrier, and Riku was free to pick her up and open a corridor to Hollow Bastion's chapel.

Only Hades was there, watching the fight between Sora and Jafar with interest, commentating with shameless bias for Jafar.

"...and that's a low blow, going for the lamp instead of Jafar, Jafar follows up with a rain of fire, yes the fuzzy kid is feeling that one alright, nicely done-"

"Where's Maleficent?" Riku interrupted him.

"Down in the Grand Hall," Hades replied without taking his eyes off the table, returning his commentary without a pause, not even noticing the unconscious Princess in his arms. As he followed the vague gesture Hades had given him, she began to stir. He used the hilt of Soul Eater to send her back to sleep again without a second thought.

_-Only one Princess left.-_ the voice said. _-And you know who it is. All you have to do is bring her here.-_

"Not yet," he murmured, not wanting anyone else to overhear him apparently talking to himself. "I want to discuss it with her first."

_-To what end? You know who the final Princess is and where to find her. What would be gained from talking about it?-_

"I don't know how she found Kairi, or what had been happening to her after the islands. Something hasn't been quite right about her ever since I first met her, and I want to find out if this is it."

_-Then you suspect she lied to you, and retrieved Kairi without notifying you? That she already knew?-_

"Exactly."

_-What will you do if you are correct?-_

"You said it yourself. Kairi is close to me. I'd want to know why she deceived me, and then I think I'd want to get back at her for it."

_-If it is revenge you want, then I advise caution. Maleficent is skilled in the use of the darkness. Perhaps it may be wise to have another dispatch her.-_

"I don't know anyone I trust enough to do that."

_-No? Does not a part of you still consider Sora to be among your closest friends? Sooner or later, he will discover that Hollow Bastion is the source of his troubles and venture here to put a stop to them. Work with me, and I can show you the path to setting Maleficent and Sora against each other. One will come out of that weakened, and the other will be defeated.-_

"I get it. If Maleficent comes out of it, I get my Keyblade back and I get to finish her myself."

_-And should Sora be the victor, he will surely be in no condition to face off against you, with the keyhole unlocked and unstoppable darkness behind you. Then with the Key's light and power fused with the darkness, no one will question you. You will be able to do anything, go anywhere, and make anyone bow to your will. What more could you ask for?-_

"I'm not in it for world domination. I just want to go back to my island with Kairi."

_-Having tasted the universe outside your own world, you would undoubtedly begin to feel confined, until wanderlust overcame you and you began to explore again. You have seen so much, and only begun to understand the vast nature of the worlds and more. There is so very much to learn, and after you have done this, you will have all the time you want to use learning, understanding, and doing whatever your heart commands. You know I'm right, Riku. I've never given you a reason not to trust me yet.-_

"I'll decide whether to trust you when I see Kairi wake up. And that means you'd better be right about her being the last Princess, or I'm going to find you and make you pay."

_-A fair deal. I would expect no less in your place. But be careful what you say to Maleficent – do not yet give away that you are discontent with her.-_

Riku nodded, though there was no one to see. He was starting to doubt his initial impressions of this voice. Despite the insistent claims that he'd be more than capable of taking over not just one world, but all worlds, he privately admitted it hadn't led him wrong yet. And if it was right about Kairi... well, that would just prove the point.

The Grand Hall was indeed grand. On either side of him as he entered were six alcoves. Five of them were occupied with their previously snared captive Princesses slumbering within what appeared to be a case of crystals. Opposite him, on a raised platform there was a heart-shaped area that was free of the other pipes and such that littered the back walls of the hall. Maleficent herself stood before it, but apparently sensing his entry she turned and swept down one of the two staircases leading up to it to join him.

"So you were able to retrieve her," she noted. "What of Jafar?"

"I wouldn't know. I didn't stick around to find out. We worked together enough to get Jasmine, but that was all. I've no interest in what happened to him."

"Such disregard for our allies... take care not to let them hear you speak so, Riku."

"_Our_ allies?" Riku replied archly, placing Jasmine in the last alcove. As he supported her in a standing position, the crystal formed around her feet and rose rapidly around her, holding her safely within its embrace. "Your allies more like. I worked with you only as long as it seemed to coincide with what I wanted."

"And what you want, I want."

"Oh, really? Where did you find Kairi, Maleficent? How did you track her down? What took you so long, huh?"

"There are many worlds, Riku. It is not easy to find one individual in the vastness of the universe without knowing exactly where they were before."

"You found me," he pointed out, crossing his arms almost defiantly. "And unless you've been hiding something from me, you didn't know where I was before."

"What point are you trying to make?"

"I think you've been lying to me. I think you did know where she was, and you didn't tell me. So now I want the truth, Maleficent. Tell me how you found her, right here, right now."

"And if I don't?" she asked archly. Riku simply summoned Soul Eater, standing ready for battle and hoping his own darkness would be enough to take her on. "Such boldness," Maleficent noted. "Very well. Yes, I did know where she was. I had been interested in her before you inadvertently caused the destruction of Destiny Islands."

"Why?" He suspected he knew already, but wanted to hear it from her.

"Because I have reason to believe she may be the missing Princess. She drifted for a long time in the realm of Darkness, and none of us were equipped to head there without a craft, not even Vexen. It was only through altering Captain Hook's ship to travel the lanes between worlds, and then to enter the realm of Darkness itself that we were able to retrieve her, and that was when I called you."

"Why didn't you tell me you knew before?"

"There was no way to tell for sure if we could reach her. Not to mention, it caused you to fight for our cause much more strongly than you would have otherwise. I extend my apologies to you for deceiving you Riku, but it was done that we might better work toward our goals"

"I guess I should forgive you... for now. I'm going to retrieve Kairi... and you'd better hope you're right about her being the last Princess, because if I take her through a corridor and she doesn't come out of it safely..." he left the threat hanging, as he opened the corridor, then left. "You'd better hope you're right too," he added to the voice once in the corridor.

He would not forgive Maleficent. Not after that revelation. Now, he'd let her and Sora duke it out, defeat the victor and retrieve his Keyblade, then Kairi would awaken.

After that? One step at a time, he decided.


	13. The Key from the Heart

Vexen was waiting for him when he exited the next corridor, Kairi cradled in his arms. Both the voice and Maleficent had been right – not even the smallest mark on her. She was their final Princess.

"Ah, Riku", he said casually. "I trust things are going in your favour?"

"For now," Riku replied. "You want something from me?"

"I've been asked to make an offer to you. This one doesn't come from me, only through me."

"Tell me about it on the way to the Grand Hall," he said, starting toward it

"That may not be wise. Maleficent is... not aware of the Organization. I would rather keep it that way."

Riku doubled back, taking a different route.

"My room then," he decided. "What's this Organization?"

"Not here. I can discuss the offer, if you're of a mind to listen."

Riku just nodded, adjusting his arms to carry Kairi a little easier. As it always did when he was close to her, his heart seemed to tug toward her, now more powerfully than ever before.

"It's quite simple... have you ever noticed that whenever you defeat certain kinds of Heartless, they release a heart?"

"Yeah. Never thought anything of it. What's so special about it?"

"It appears that if a Heartless is felled by a Keyblade, those hearts can be collected. The Organization has a goal that depends on this, and if you are willing to lend us your aid toward it, we will do whatever it takes to retrieve your Keyblade from Sora."

"I've already made plans for that. As soon as Sora gets here I'll put them into effect. You'll have to find something else to offer me. Open the door for me," he added, nodding toward his room's door.

As Vexen let them in, he replied, "I'm limited in what I can bargain with, Riku. The Superior was quite specific about what I was allowed to do."

Riku laid Kairi down on his bed, then turned back. "Alright. Now tell me about this Organization and your Superior."

"Organization Thirteen. We actually number only twelve, but the number remains. Each of us shares in the same trait – we are Nobodies. Like Heartless, we possess no hearts, but unlike them we retain our human appearance and ability to think."

Riku held up one hand to stop him, then said, "And gathering these hearts will help you regain your own ones. Right?"

"Exactly right. Up until now, you and Sora have both given us the start we required. But we feel that if Sora were to become aware of our goals, he would misunderstand for the suffering caused by having to create more Heartless in order to gain more hearts, and oppose us. The Superior decided that you, on the other hand, could be approached with such an offer and asked to work with us."

"Perhaps. You still have to persuade me you have something to make it worth my time."

"What if your plans fail, Riku? If your Keyblade remains beyond your reach?"

As Riku considered it, the voice told him, _-It won't. But humour him if you must.-_

"We'll come to that if it happens," Riku said aloud. "Not before. You've got time to come up with something, anyway. At least until Sora gets here."

Vexen nodded, then turned to leave. He paused at the door to look back at Kairi.

"I would have to get authorization for it," he said. "But I suspect I might be able to help you with your other problem too."

"With Kairi? How?"

"Too soon to tell. Let me talk to the Superior first."

"Oh, bother him. If it gets you my help, he probably won't care. How can you help?"

Vexen hesitated, checked the corridor, then came back in again and closed the door.

"The girl... appears to have lost her heart. However, as one of the Princesses, there is no darkness in her, and she cannot become a Heartless or even a Nobody, thus leaving her in her current state. If her heart could be found and restored to her, she would reawaken."

"How do we find it?"

"It would have to have taken up residence within the heart of another," Vexen mused to himself, thinking. "A heart by itself would not survive long. Undoubtedly it would attempt to find a safe haven, perhaps of one close to her."

His heart always seemed to pull toward her whenever nearby. Could that mean... he had her heart inside his own?

Riku looked to Kairi, avoiding looking at Vexen in case it would give away anything and asked, "If that's the case... what would that person experience because of it?"

"There is no easy way to say for certain... not only are hearts unpredictable things, but this has never happened before to my knowledge. There is nothing to base my hypothesis on."

"Guess then, Vexen," he replied insistently. "This is important."

"If you have any ideas, I welcome them," Vexen answered irritably.

"Would her heart pull toward her?"

"If in close proximity, I believe it would. It would undoubtedly want to return to the rightful place."

"Vexen, how do you get a heart out of someone else?"

_-Use the Keyblade I will provide you with when you take her to the Grand Hall to be with her brethren,-_ the voice told him.

"It would require extensive time and research..."

"Whatever it takes, Vexen. If you can figure out how I can give her heart back to her before Sora gets here, then you can tell your Superior he has my allegiance."

Vexen looked up sharply when he said that, understanding the implications of that offer, and wasted no time in leaving again, this time by his own dark corridor.

_-Is there something wrong with my solution?- _the voice asked with mild curiosity.

"Kairi's heart is within me. You'd have me turn a Keyblade on myself. Who knows what else that could do? It might give Kairi her heart back, but I could lose mine. I want her back, but if she's back and I'm not it does me no good."

_-What do you suggest then? My solution will work. You do not know if Vexen's will.-_

"Maybe not, but with the kind of offer I just made him, he'll do everything he can to find a way. As for you, if you can be completely certain your Keyblade will only affect her... only then will I consider it. And no tricks either."

_-Of course not. I have nothing to hide from you, Riku.-_

"Good. Anyway, I've got another idea," he said, picking up Kairi again. "We know where Kairi's heart is. Maybe Maleficent can make use of it if Kairi and I are both present."

_-Abide yet a time. If you are correct, and you unlock the Keyhole now, who will dispatch Maleficent and Sora? If you eliminate Maleficent, you will still have to face Sora to get your Keyblade back, and if you eliminate Sora, Maleficent will grow stronger from the darkness that will come from the Keyhole and put her beyond your reach. Remain with our original plan. Let her see Kairi, but keep the location of her heart to yourself.-_

He had to admit, the voice had a point. He fully intended to see both Maleficent and Sora fall. The two would have to fight each other as they were now before he could unlock the keyhole safely.

Riku opened another corridor, this one directly to the Grand Hall.

"Maleficent!" he called out as he saw there was no one there. "Come on out!"

"Is there something wrong?" she replied, appearing in one of her green flames nearby. "Oh? So she is the missing Princess?"

Riku nodded, "But there's a problem. She's lost her heart. I read something in the library that suggested if all seven Princesses were here, I could get something that would help me find it, but I've never had the chance to find out."

"What do you need to do?"

_-Simply come into contact with each of the Princesses, starting and finishing with Kairi. You need only touch on them lightly, no prolonged contact is necessary. I can work through that contact to give you what you require.-_

He passed that on, though reworded to hide the presence of the voice. He brushed one hand against Kairi's cheek, then went to the three Princesses to his left first and repeated. The remaining three came next, then back to Kairi again. A light glowed from each of the six Princesses that retained their hearts, creating a line that joined above him and Kairi, then a new one that went down past him and into his hand resting on Kairi's chest.

_-Now, draw up your hand and swing as if calling on your old Keyblade,-_ the voice commanded.

As he did so, he felt the tug of Kairi's heart shift, seeming to travel down his arm, leaving him. At the same time, the light from each of the other Princesses seemed sucked in, drawn toward his hand.

When the swing was complete, a black flash like that of Soul Eater appeared, clearing to reveal a new Keyblade.

It was black except for the red guard around his hand. The key part was the outline of a heart, as was the blue-black token on the end of the chain hanging from the handle.

_-This is the Keyblade of People's Hearts,-_ the voice told him. _-Created from the hearts of all seven Princesses of purest hearts. Within it lies the ability to unlock the heart of any other and expose it to all things, whether they be darkness or light and the ability to unlock any Keyhole your old Keyblade could lock – even the Keyhole Maleficent wishes to unlock with it. Destroy the Keyblade and all seven Princesses will awaken, and the abilities will be lost until they are gathered together again. Use it wisely, Riku. It is one of a kind, and is far more irreplaceable than your previous Keyblade.-_

Riku stood, the new Keyblade in hand. This was perfect. Even if Sora defeated Maleficent, he could turn it on her to let the darkness have free reign with her, potentially causing Sora to have to fight her again. And if Sora faced it... He'd become a Heartless, just like Vexen told him. And that would mean he could retrieve his Keyblade from Sora again, this time for good.

"Well?" Maleficent asked impatiently.

"Give me time. I have to figure out how to use this. Go delay Sora or something. Where is he, anyway?"

"The map table is in the chapel, Riku. Perhaps you should make use of it yourself?"

"I'm going to be busy with this."

"Do not forget who it was that rescued you from the darkness when you caused the destruction of your homeworld," Maleficent warned him as she swept from the room.

"Kairi protected me," he murmured. "Not you."

_-Do not forget you no longer benefit from that protection, Riku. Her heart resides in that Keyblade now, and you must be prepared to accept the consequences of using the darkness yourself.-_

"That's not all. The offer I made to Vexen just went out the window. All I have to do is unlock the Keyhole, then destroy this Keyblade. I still have Soul Eater if I need to defend myself, so I won't be losing too much."

_-And do you know what you will do when you command the Keyblade Sora bears, and ultimate darkness?-_

"One thing at a time. Now tell me something, voice... just who are you? Surely you've got a name."

_-I am Ansem, the Seeker of Darkness!-_ the voice proclaimed. _-And it is I who truly command all Heartless, and use them to further my own goals.-_

"Oh really? And just what goals are they?"

_-All in good time, Riku. As you say, one thing at a time.-_


	14. Ring of the Keyblades

It was barely a day since Ansem had created the Keyblade of People's Hearts for him, and it was getting close to the time he'd have to use it, because Sora had at last arrived at Hollow Bastion. With Ansem backing him up, he'd commandeered the entire Heartless population he could reach to put them in Sora's path, intending to have him weakened when he faced Maleficent. If his progress thus far was anything to go by however, there'd be no such luck. Sora had even stumbled across his own room.

Ansem had offered to alter his appearance to show off his command over the darkness, but Riku had rejected it out of hand. He intended to remain identifiable just the same no matter what, and to that end did not want any further changes.

Now he stood just outside the castle chapel, watching Maleficent. As the plans of all their allies had been thwarted, only she and Vexen remained, and Vexen was fully involved in finding a way to restore a heart held within another, unaware that the problem no longer remained.

Maleficent had taken to here in order to stop or at least delay Sora long enough for him to find Kairi's heart, restore it and open the final Keyhole. Of course, he already knew this, but had not yet told her. Now he wanted to see Sora and Maleficent fight.

While he waited, he realized that Vexen had not tried to manipulate him. Maleficent had, keeping her knowledge of Kairi from him so he would continue to work for her, but Vexen had been open with him. Perhaps once Sora had been dealt with, he'd find out some more about Vexen's original offer and go to work with his Organization.

_-Be aware,-_ Ansem warned him. _-Sora approaches.-_

"About time," he breathed so as not to alert Maleficent to his presence.

Sora strode confidently into the room, looking no different to usual. He wore a grin that had nothing to do with his mood, more to do with the sense of extreme confidence that Riku could pick up even from across the room. Neither Donald or Goofy seemed entirely happy about being with him, keeping their distance from him. He had no idea what had happened to them during their time with Sora, but seeing this discontent made him all the more determined to get his old Keyblade back, and with it their friendship. If they still accepted him.

"So Sora, at last you come to me," Maleficent said, turning to see him. "What is it that you want? Power? Riches? I can offer you these things, in time."

"Forget it. I know you're behind everything. Tell me what you've done to Riku and Kairi," he demanded.

"Oh no, we can't have that," she laughed. "Not when your dear Kairi is soon to unlock the final Keyhole for me. You, boy... are just a nuisance, and I, the mistress of all evil shall vanquish you!"

"So you think," he replied with a nasty smirk growing.

Riku watched as his Keyblade appeared in Sora's hand again. Donald and Goofy armed themselves too, though still they kept their distance from Sora. Maleficent did not fight them directly, instead calling on various dark magic and Heartless. The Heartless, being controlled by him and Ansem did not respond to her.

"Think we should let her have a few?" he murmured to Ansem.

_-That is your choice. But beware you do not overdo it. Either of them may become suspicious.-_

Riku nodded, then relaxed the control over a small portion of the Heartless, allowing Maleficent to call them in. Sora ignored them, focusing on Maleficent and leaving Donald and Goofy to clear them up. He did not support them at all, leaving them to help each other. Apparently they'd grown used to this, and responded in kind.

Maleficent lost out to Sora, but before she could be defeated she opened a corridor into a deeper part of the chapel. Riku quickly created a corridor of his own to follow, pulling out the Keyblade of People's Hearts along the way.

"Riku!" she gasped when he arrived.

"You seem to be having some trouble," he noted casually. "Would you like some help?"

"Riku! You're here!" Sora exclaimed, coming in.

"So I am. Well, Maleficent?"

"Go ahead," she breathed. "I want to see this."

"Oh, you'll have the perfect viewpoint," Riku smirked, then stabbed her with the Keyblade.

The sudden attack shocked her at first, but then the darkness overcame her, transforming her.

Riku gave Sora a wink, then retreated to the edge of the room to watch.

Sora had been looking satisfied when he'd stabbed Maleficent, but when he realized what Riku had done to her he too was surprised, and more so when she turned into a great dragon and a new fight began.

He casually brushed aside stray green flames that came his way, along with any magic Donald or Sora sent at him. None of them tried to attack him directly as long as he kept out of their main fight though.

_-There is something... unusual about the boy,-_ Ansem remarked. _-Something not quite human.-_

"You think maybe he found something too? Like I did the darkness?"

_-No... it is difficult to say. I have not noticed anything of the like before. It bears some similarity to something Vexen might have done, but...-_ Ansem trailed off. There was the sense of his being troubled by something he'd realized. _-Be wary if you clash with him, Riku. There are forces at work here that even I do not understand.-_

That worried him slightly, but he put it from his mind. There was no point in letting it unnerve him unduly. With Ansem's Keyblade and the darkness on his side, Sora could not do anything but fall to him.

Sora ended up overpowering Maleficent a second time, this time leaving just the black cloak she had worn behind.

"So... she was just another puppet after all." Riku remarked.

"What're you talking about?" Sora demanded of him.

"She thought she was using the darkness, but it was using her."

"What about you? What did you do that to her for?"

"I... have my own goals now. I'd tell you not to continue, Sora... but I know you'll just ignore me. Next time we meet I'll be taking that Keyblade back off you," he added, then turned aside into a newly created portal that lead directly to the Grand Hall.

During the time they'd been waiting for Sora to arrive, he'd moved Kairi into a crystal like those the other Princesses were in, but in pride of place, on the raised plinth before the final Keyhole itself. He could feel the darkness on the other side of it, waiting to be let through.

_-Go ahead, Riku. Open it. What do you have to lose?-_

"It can wait until we've dealt with Sora. One thing at a time."

_-What is the point of having ultimate darkness if you don't have anyone to use it on?-_

"It's not about the power, Ansem. It'll be just him, me, and the two Keyblades. Nothing more. And I'm going to prove to him once and for all, I'm stronger than he is, and that he's holding _my_ Keyblade."

_-You realize you will not be able to wield your old Keyblade and your new one at the same time.-_

"Doesn't matter. All I have to do is attach the chain for this one to the handle of the old one, and the two will be combined. It won't matter what happens then."

_-I wonder if what you say is true... and what the side effects could be.-_

"One way to find out."

He cocked his head to listen, hearing Sora's footsteps grow closer, then aimed the Keyblade of People's Hearts toward the lock, but keeping himself from unlocking it.

When Sora ran into the Grand Hall, he saw this and called out, "Riku, no! You don't know what you're doing!"

"So you ignored me, just as I thought," Riku said, lowering the Keyblade. "I know exactly what I'm doing. Do you?"

"Of course I do – I'm stopping you!"

"Oh, really? How do you plan to do that without a weapon?"

Sora glanced quickly to the Keyblade in his hand, then answered, "I've got this. I'd hardly call that no weapon."

"Come then Sora – just you and me. Let's find out once and for all who the true master of the Keyblade is!"

He'd been right – there was no way Sora was passing up a challenge like that. It seemed to infuriate him, knowing that Riku had still not given up on getting the Keyblade back. He ran up one flight of the stairs toward him, with Donald and Goofy running up the other set. Riku quickly arranged for a barrier to bar them entry to the plinth, and as soon as Sora had made it up the other set of stairs he blocked that one too.

Sora struck out wildly at him with an aggression that was better left avoided than blocked. Riku kept back and waited for his opportunity, then when he saw it he seized it, jamming his own Keyblade into the floor to give him slightly more lift in a jump over Sora's head, then as soon as his feet were on the floor he turned and jabbed at him.

"Missed me!" Sora told him snidely.

"Dodge this," Riku retorted, striking out high and forcing Sora to duck. When he came back up he blocked Riku's overhand strike, and the two Keyblades clashed. Riku felt something leave him, like when Kairi's heart had been channelled by Ansem to form his new Keyblade, but there was nothing he knew of that it could be. Unless it was Ansem himself, but if Ansem had left him he could be in trouble.

He continued to fight Sora, starting to take a more offensive strategy himself, but they were too evenly matched. When he grew more aggressive, Sora picked up a defensive style that left no openings, when Sora went all-out, he was forced to fall back just to avoid getting caught out, leaving them in a stand off.

_-Now, Riku!-_ Ansem snapped, alleviating his worries. So what had left him, and where had it gone? _-Seize your chance - wait until he attempts to perform another jump attack, then jump back before he lands. Once he is on the floor, lunge forward and you will have him!-_

Riku understood, copying previous tactics that had caused Sora to try that attack. Sora did it again. Riku stepped back, then lunged.

The Keyblade clattered out of Sora's hand and fell to the floor as he stared at the Keyblade of People's Hearts sticking out of him, then up to Riku.

"But Riku," he breathed. "Why?"

"Because it proves I'm still better than you are. That's why the Keyblade chose me."

"But-" he began, but then Riku pulled the Keyblade from him, and he vanished into a white light that faded out.

Riku dissolved the barriers that had kept Donald and Goofy out of his fight, then he knelt down, taking the chain from the Keyblade Ansem had created, replacing the one on his original Keyblade with it. The Keyblade of People's Hearts vanished, the original Keyblade taking on its appearance, but as the original vanished, seven bright lights came from it, similar to the ones that had come from Sora.

They travelled out to each of the seven Princesses, causing the crystal around them to dissolve around each. As each of them woke up in turn, they looked around, spotted him, then ran.

When it came to Kairi's turn to wake up, she came to him, looking at him.

"So that's what happened," she murmured. "I have to go with the others."

"But Kairi," he objected.

"No, listen to me. I'll be safe. I can tell there's something else you have to do. Go do it. I'll see you later."

Then she too left.


	15. Darkness Overcome

Riku barely noticed Goofy join him, warily followed by Donald.

"Riku... are you alright?" Goofy asked cautiously.

"I'm fine." He kept his tone neutral. He had no idea what Sora might have told them, or how they'd react if they knew what he'd done. "How was your time with Sora?" he asked instead, as if it had just been a short visit.

They shared a long, hard look with each other, then Donald said, "He's horrible. He never helped anyone anywhere unless it got him something he thought was worth his time. Not like you."

"That's right," Goofy agreed. "You helped people even if it got ya nothing at all. But some of the things he said about you..." Goofy trailed off, as if afraid to mention them in front of him.

"He doesn't like you very much, Riku," Donald continued for him. "He kept on accusing you of stealing Kairi and the Keyblade from him, and says you're using the darkness now."

"I am," Riku nodded reluctantly. "But that was only because it helped me revive Kairi. It doesn't rule me, and I know when to lay off using it. It was necessary... nothing more."

"Say, Riku," Goofy said then. "Do ya know someone called Vexen?"

"How do you know Vexen?" he asked, startled.

"Sora mentioned him a few times too, talked about him sorta the same way he did you. Said something about him being a deframed scientist."

"Deranged," Donald corrected. "And he has no morals either, Sora said. Not afraid to use or sacrifice anyone else to learn more."

"I wonder why. He didn't come across that way to me. He actually helped me a few times." Riku met their eyes at last, then nodded again. "Will you guys come with me again?"

"Well, you do have the Key," Goofy pointed out. "And you've been a much better travelling companion than Sora was. What d'ya say, Donald?"

"Do you know where we'll find the King, Riku?" Donald asked shrewdly.

"I don't know, no. But sooner or later we'll find him, and there are only so many worlds left out there to search. But first..." he turned to face the Keyhole behind him. "I have to unlock this."

Goofy started back at this statement. "But Riku... if ya do that-"

"A lot of darkness will come out, I know. But it has to be unlocked before it can be locked and sealed."

_-What are you doing, Riku?-_ Ansem's voice sounded in his mind, also startled. _-What are you saying? Seal it off? That would severely limit your power! Everything you have worked toward!-_

Then there was another voice, a more familiar one. _-Do it, Riku!-_ Sora's voice cut in _-You have to lock it, or Ansem will try to control you and unlock it himself!-_

_-Meddlesome brat!- _Ansem exclaimed. _-Still you oppose Riku even in defeat! I will show you the error of your ways!-_

_-Hurry Riku!-_ Sora insisted, then the sense of both their presences faded. Had that really been Sora?

He shoved that thought aside, focusing. There would be time enough to wonder about that later.

"As soon as I unlock it, we'll have to head through to the other side to lock the real Keyhole," Riku told Donald and Goofy. "You don't have to come through and help me with anything that's there, but..." he trailed off, raising the Keyblade to the lock. Two beams emanated from it, one white and one black, both twisting around each other until they impacted the Keyhole. There was a loud rumble followed by a similarly loud click, then a portal filled the gap, appearing in a swirling multicoloured mix of light.

As he passed through the portal he felt the massive darkness surge within him. It took him a few moments to suppress it, by which time he noticed both Donald and Goofy had accompanied him through the portal.

"You shouldn't need to ask," Goofy told him. "We're with you all the way."

"Come on then guys. Let's find another Keyhole."

Donald just pointed ahead. A massive blue beast was stomping towards them. Between its legs they could see a small keyhole in the far wall – if the mass of colours could be said to be a wall.

There was a Heartless emblem on the beast's front, so Riku probed at the creature with his darkness, finding out about it.

"A Behemoth," he identified it. "Attack the horn, it's the only weak point."

"How do you know that?"

"Darkness gives control over the Heartless, but to control them you first have to understand them," he explained. "I can't control this one; there's too much darkness around. But I can tell some things about it still."

"I guess it's a good thing you've got it on your side, huh?" Donald said. "Can you use it in a fight?"

"Not a good idea, not here. Even a small amount could blow our heads off if I'm not careful with it. We'll have to do this one the old fashioned way."

"We're with ya all the way!" Goofy replied, then hurled his shield at the Behemoth's horn.

Riku smiled to himself – he had forgotten what it was like to fight with them at his side. Donald supported them with his magic, not afraid to help Riku, and Riku headed into the thick of it, keeping the Behemoth's attention by doing the most damage to it. A few well-placed spells from Donald forced the beast to collapse nearby, allowing him to land blow after blow in quick succession, enhanced by Soul Eater brought into his other hand with a single absent thought. He had not called on it since Ansem had given him the Keyblade of People's Hearts, but two weapons were better than one, even if it wasn't a Keyblade itself.

It was still a weapon of the darkness however, and with the immense darkness in the area it caused incredible damage compared to the Keyblades. The Behemoth did not take long to fall before them.

Once it was over, he reflected on the battle and realized it had almost been as if they'd never parted ways. With the Keyblade back in his hands, they'd overlooked everything that had happened with Sora because of how he'd treated them.

As they approached the Keyhole itself, Riku paused, sensing something. Donald and Goofy continued for a moment, then when they realized he'd stopped they turned to face him. In turning to face him, they saw what he'd sensed.

"Sora!" Goofy exclaimed. "But you were..."

"Do not bother. He cannot hear you where he is now." a voice said that sounded partly like Sora's, but more like...

"Ansem," Riku said. "How did you find your way into Sora?"

"You unlocked his Heart with the Keyblade I provided you – made it accessible to all things. I merely exposed him to the darkness to get into his heart, and he was powerless to resist me."

Riku turned slowly to see Sora stood there, watching him with crossed arms and an arrogant kind of expression.

"So now you've used that to come back and stop me from locking this Keyhole."

"If that is what it takes to make you realize. Think about what you are giving up, Riku!" he cried, extending his arms outward. "Think about what you could have if you work with me instead of against me!"

"I don't want ultimate darkness. I don't even want the darkness I've got. Kairi's awake again, I've got my Keyblade back – with the way Sora's been treating me, not to mention my friends," he added with a jerk of his head toward them. "There's nothing you can offer me that I want. Now it's time to seal this world again."

"If you take another step toward that Keyhole, I will cause all worlds to fall into the darkness and be consumed whether they have been sealed or not," Ansem threatened.

"Try to stop me and I'll destroy you where you stand," Riku countered. "You might have control over Sora's body, but that won't make me hold anything back."

Something flickered over Sora's face for a moment, then the air around him seemed to ripple and Sora changed into someone else, wearing a white coat, black pants and boots, silver-white hair and orange eyes.

"Here in the heart of darkness, you are within my power," Ansem said softly. "Oppose the darkness, oppose me and you will perish her. Accept me back into your heart, Riku. Turn back to the darkness. Come with me and take up the ultimate power with me."

"I already told you I don't want your darkness!" Riku snapped, turning to point the Keyblade at the Keyhole. The twin lights pushed out again, this time aimed to lock it, but as they did so the floor became darkness itself and they all dropped.

"And so all worlds turn back to the darkness," Ansem said, floating nearby as they fell, completely unconcerned. "All because of one stubborn boy."

"Look up, Ansem," Riku growled brightly, pointing upwards. The lights from his Keyblade, though no longer attached to it, had made it to the Keyhole, locking it. "I win," he grinned.

"It is not over so easily," Ansem answered, though he was clearly annoyed now. He vanished, a light appearing below that grew more and more detailed. He recognised it as his island, the Destiny Islands. They were deserted – and they were approaching fast. All three of them hit the sandy beach hard.

"He's really starting to annoy me now," Riku wheezed, coughing the last of the sand out of him. "I think it's time I did something a little more permanent about it."

"But what about Sora?" Goofy asked him. "He mighta been a bit of a bad egg, but should we really let Ansem do this to him?"

"The alternative is to let him do whatever he wants," Riku replied. "And I'm not gonna let him do that. Find me Ansem, and keep out of my way."

"Look over there," Donald said, pointing toward the rock with the few Paopu trees that were easily accessible. Ansem was stood watching them, with a strange creature behind him. It didn't seem to be a Heartless, but neither did certain kinds of Heartless.

Riku was away like a shot out of a cannon, taking a running jump enhanced by a very brief shot of darkness to propel him up and onto the top of the rock. Almost before he'd landed on the rock, Soul Eater and the Keyblades were in his hands. Ansem had made no move to defend himself, but the creature behind enfolded him within its arms, blocking the path. Both Keyblades carved deeply into the arms, causing it to withdraw them quickly and leave Ansem open to attack.

Ansem attempted to block with a hurriedly raised barrier, but Soul Eater carved through it in one strike, again leaving him open. He called to the creature behind, calling it a Guardian, and it seemed to phase through him to protect him, but once more his two weapons struck hard and true, harming the Guardian further and causing it to retreat behind.

By this time Donald and Goofy had caught up with him, though they seemed afraid to get too close to Riku for fear of the two weapons being swung wildly, almost as if Riku were in a frenzy brought on by fury, but he kept them more tightly controlled than it first appeared.

The island fell away around them, leaving them stood on insubstantial darkness. Ansem's Guardian retreated away, morphing into a giant beast that stretched out for an immense distance. Small cannon like growths shot at them, but they fired darkness, and Riku absorbed that darkness to turn against Ansem.

Ansem tried to escape for it, but Riku barred his path as his friends homed in on it to attack it, preventing him from reaching it. With a powerful strike to Ansem's head, he forced him to the ground where he lay stunned, allowing him to join them in the attack against the great beast the Guardian had become. It wasn't long before the cannons had all been destroyed, along with a curious sinewy strand they had found that was beating almost like a heart. With its destruction, the Guardian's giant form vanished into a similarly massive tornado of darkness, with Riku shielding them from the effects of it.

When it had cleared, there remained only them, Ansem, and a tall white door, gleaming in the distance. Ansem was already heading for it.

"After him," Riku whispered to his friends, then wasted no time in pursuit. Along the way, Ansem reached out to the door, saying something they couldn't hear, and the door began to open.

Ansem seemed oblivious to them, and continued to be so until Goofy threw his shield to trip him up, and Donald used Thunder to stun him long enough for Riku to catch up.

"Riku," Ansem gasped as he drew close. "Look there. The Door to Darkness. The way to the heart of all worlds, Kingdom Hearts. The power within... second to none. Don't you want it for yourself too?"

"I already told you, Ansem," Riku replied quietly, standing over him. "I don't want power. I don't want you. You should realize that by now."

"But Riku, you could have anything," he protested weakly, watching as the Keyblade, still in the form of the Keyblade of People's Hearts, was pointed at him.

"I don't want just anything. But I do want to be rid of you. And that starts right here, right now."

He made one stab into Ansem, the same as he had for Sora. Ansem reached out disbelievingly as if to tug it from him, but then faded out, not to light as Sora had, but into darkness. Ahead of them, the door stopped in its tracks. They could see a mass of Heartless on the other side.

"I think we're gonna need some help with this one," Riku murmured to himself, beckoning for the others to join him as he ran for the door.


	16. Light and Dark

As he drew close to the massive doors that Ansem had called the Door to Darkness, he felt the familiar tugging on his heart. It couldn't be Kairi, not now her heart had been returned to her. So who's heart was it?

When he'd clashed with Sora, there'd been a feeling like something leaving him, very similar to when Kairi's heart had left him. Had he been harbouring more than just her heart, and was he still protecting others too?

When they were really close, close enough to step onto the cracked rocks around the door, the tugging became too strong to ignore – and too strong for him to do anything about. He was picked up and carried over the threshold as if by a giant invisible hand, and trying to go back through the door only made him impact on some unseen wall. Neither Donald or Goofy could come through either.

"What're we going to do?" Donald fretted. "If you're stuck there and we're here..."

"Maybe if I knew why I can't get back," Riku said, pushing at the threshold again. It was as if the air had thickened like tar.

"It's because of the darkness in you," Sora's voice said. Riku glanced to the closed side of the door to see him sat leaning despondently against it. "That's why I'm here too. When Ansem used me, he flooded me with darkness. Now I'm stuck in the Realm of Darkness with you."

"It's you, isn't it?" Riku asked. "I felt something pulling on my heart. It was you, wasn't it?"

"Probably. Not that it does any good."

"No, I've got an idea. If I release your heart again- hear me out!" he said quickly, seeing Sora start to back away. "If I do it again, I can take that darkness off you again-"

"And I can go back to the Realm of Light! But what about you?"

"I'll lend you my Keyblade once you're safely there, so long as you promise to behave a bit better. They told me what you were like," he said, nodding to Donald and Goofy, who were trying to peer around the door to see Sora. "They'll travel with you as friends, and you shouldn't mistreat your friends."

"Yeah, but what about you?" Sora repeated.

"I've still got the Soul Eater. I'll find a way back to you somehow. Trust me."

Sora leaned back against the door, staring into what he'd called the Realm of Darkness. Riku turned slightly to see it for himself. There was a landscape of sorts, but there were no features, no details. Nothing except a few Heartless that seemed to have picked up on the presence of their Hearts. Riku quickly put them under his control to prevent them from causing any trouble.

"Alright," Sora said at last, standing. "Let's hope this works. Go ahead, Riku."

Riku nodded, then stabbed Sora again with the Keyblade, still in the form of Ansem's Keyblade. Sora faded back into the white light again, and a similar white light appeared behind Donald and Goofy, solidifying into Sora.

"Here," Riku said, taking the Keyblade by the end of the blade. It passed through the barrier between them easily, allowing Sora to take it, but it still barred them all from crossing. "Take care of Kairi for me," he added.

"You bet. Now we better close this door."

The three of them shoved against it, with Riku waiting until the edge of the door crossed the barrier so he could grasp it. It began to move grudgingly, giving up ground very slowly and with great effort.

"It's too heavy," Donald sighed, slumping back down into view.

Riku felt a presence behind him and turned to see that the few Heartless had become many, and grown beyond his control.

"Don't give up!" he told them. "You've gotta close it before those Heartless get here!"

"Heartless!" Donald exclaimed. All three of them turned to look through the gap to see.

Then the presence was lessened, and both Donald and Goofy's eyes widened in surprise.

"The King!" they exclaimed. Riku glanced behind to see a small mouse holding a Keyblade aloft, the same as when he'd taken up his own one originally, but with different colours.

"Now, Sora! Let's close this door for good!" the shadowy figure announced.

"But your Majesty," Goofy objected. "You'll be trapped!"

"Don't worry, guys. There'll always be a Door to the Light." Then the mouse was beside him, looking up. "You'n I can work together to find it, Riku. So let's close this door, and stop the Heartless from overrunning the Realm of Light."

The King seemed able to cross the threshold, allowing him to help pull the door closed enough for Riku to join in too. When there was barely a gap left, the King said, "Don't forget, Sora – the door has to be locked from both sides." Sora may have nodded, but by then the door had been fully closed. He held up his own Keyblade, white handled and golden bladed, and like his own one it shot light out at the door. It spread up and down the length of the crack between them, sealing them.

"I guess that's it then," Riku murmured. "The last I'll be seeing of the Realm of Light for now."

"Don't be like that, Riku. You never know what miracles will happen."

"It'll take more than a miracle to get me back across, your Majesty. I hosted Ansem within me for a long time, used his darkness and his control over the Heartless. Even if there is a way... it'll take a long time."

"Aw, come on. Look on the bright side – you coulda been stuck here alone like Sora was until you came along. Now we can work together and keep each other company!"

"So what're you working on?"

"I've been looking at why all the stars were going out, but since and you defeated Ansem all the worlds shoulda gone back to normal now. So now I just gotta find the way back out again."

"The Door to Light," Riku agreed, walking to the edge of the rocks on this side of the Door to Darkness. He could see around the door itself from them, but there was no sign of the view he'd seen from the door. Evidently the Realm of Light could only be seen through the doorway. "Where do we start looking?"

"Hm, ya know, that's a really good question. I don't know. But we're not gonna find it just standing around here. We gotta get out there and look at all the worlds in the Realm of Darkness."

"Just like me and Sora did in the Realm of Light. We went around locking Keyholes."

"Exactly! We can do the same here for the dark side of those worlds, then we're bound to happen across it sooner or later! Except I've been to some of them already – that's how I found this," he held up his Keyblade. "So we don't have to go to all of them."

"Where to first then, your Majesty?"

"Call me Mickey," the little mouse said absently, apparently thinking to himself. "Before I came here to close the door, I was looking at a world I found, Twilight Town. Seems like it's on the border between both Realms."

"Maybe I could use that as a kind of gateway to get back into the Realm of Light?"

"Can't hurt to try, but I doubt it. That's not the only reason I was going there though. There's these people calling themselves the Organization."

"I know them!" Riku exclaimed. "Vexen said he was from them, he even came to me with an offer from someone he called their Superior. He actually helped me... or at least I think he did. But the others, they said Sora had a bit of a bad opinion of him..."

"I wouldn't take up that offer, Riku. The Organization is nothing but trouble. I don't know what they're up to, but it can't be anything good. C'mon," he added, setting off over the featureless landscape.

Riku thought for a moment, then followed.

"Your Maj- I mean, Mickey, I've got an idea. It needs a bit of work, but if you're right about the Organization it might have possibilities."

"You wanna use their offer to be an inside agent," Mickey said, apparently sharper than he appeared. "That's a risky thing, Riku. Sure you're up to it?"

"Hey! I've gone through my fair share of trials just to get this far, this'll be a snap."

"I'm not talking about your capabilities. You gotta be able to convince them you're loyal to them, and got no contact with me. That means helping them with their own tasks, and that's probably gonna cause a lot of suffering."

"Mickey, I put the Beast's Castle into the darkness because I thought it would do me good. If I can cause an entire world to be consumed by the darkness with only a few hints of guilt, I can do this, whatever it is they want me to do."

"We'll see. Don't rush into this. It's a serious undertaking if you wanna do it. At least wait until we get to Twilight Town. There's someone there I want ya to meet anyway."

After quite a trek through the strange landscape, they'd come to a much smaller and plain wooden door. When they exited through it into the blackness beyond, they were transported to a place that was undoubtedly the inside of a Gummi Ship – presumably Mickey's own one. A look to see what it was like outside showed it was almost identical to his own, but with a strange collection of additional Gummis added to it. Mickey briefly explained them as being necessary while in the Realm of Darkness, because the space between the worlds was too dangerous to traverse otherwise. After he piloted them away from this side of the Door to Darkness, Riku agreed – even with the Gummis he had, Riku could feel the darkness outside. What he'd felt when locking Hollow Bastion's Keyhole was nothing compared to this.

"Did ya say the one you saw was Vexen?" Mickey asked him after a time.

"Yeah. I never got to see any of the other members."

"You're lucky. Most of the others aren't so easy to handle as him."

"You know them?"

"We've met," Mickey answered shortly. "At first they helped me find that," he said, nodding to his Keyblade laying nearby. "But once I'd got it, they quickly changed their tune. Said something about gathering the hearts the Heartless release when defeated with a Keyblade."

"Same as what Vexen told me. I got told it was so they could regain their own hearts again."

"I never got told that, but I guess there could be something to it. That's why we're going to Twilight Town. We might just be able to find the answer there."


	17. A Place InBetween

When they arrived in Twilight Town, Riku was feeling the effects of being so close to the Realm of Light. The air seemed thicker to him, as if resisting his passage through it, while the darkness simultaneously shaped around him, countering this effect. Neither effect was visible as such, except for a few short-lived dark dashes in his vision.

The town's residents seemed unconcerned by the sight of the strange pair passing through, and yet whenever certain strange white creatures appeared they scattered, only to return again afterwards as if nothing had happened.

"What are these things?" Riku muttered after one such encounter. "Kinds of Heartless?"

"I think they're similar," Mickey replied as they continued. "I don't know for sure. I'm hoping the one we're seeing can solve it for us."

"Just who are we seeing?"

"My mentor." It was said with considerable reverence. "Master Yen Sid. If he doesn't know what we need to know, he'll know what we gotta do. I just hope he'll let you in. There's a lot of anti-darkness things on his tower."

"Maybe if you went up to him and explained, he'd come down instead?"

"I guess it couldn't hurt to ask. But that's only if ya can't get in yourself, hear?" Mickey let him into a station, going right past the ticket counter entirely. "Looks like we're in luck," he murmured, pointing to a purple train with stars over it. At one end, the roof appeared to sport a Wizard's hat. "That's his train."

"I wonder if he knows we're coming?" Riku mused, following Mickey onto the train.

The train closed the doors and left of its own accord, only adding to this theory. With no apparent conductor or driver, the train was clearly magically animated.

To pass the time he watched the view go by, noticing how similar it was to what he'd seen while travelling by Gummi Ship. There were differences though, he could make out looming black clouds, indeterminate in shape. He could feel them more than see them though, and they were definitely not friendly. This was raw, unadulterated darkness, visible to him only because he was trapped in the Realm of Darkness, and most probably extremely dangerous to him even though he still probably shared a considerable resistance to the stuff.

It seemed almost too soon that they had arrived at a large grassy rock handing in space, both it and the tower upon it protected from the dark clouds. Riku felt this effect too; he felt weakened and found it even harder to make any progress. Mickey sympathised, not going too far ahead.

"Go on," he told the little mouse. "You go see him. I'll have to wait here."

"Are you sure, Riku? You haven't even made it to the door yet."

"If this is what I'm like just trying to reach it, I'm gonna be no help once inside," he admitted with a light laugh. "I'll be fine."

Mickey hesitated, but nodded and ran ahead into the tower, leaving him to sink down onto a convenient rock to rest. It had been more effort to push ahead than he'd thought it would be.

"You appear to be having some trouble," a voice noted, a dark corridor appearing nearby. It didn't sound like Vexen, or anyone he knew at least. The figure that emerged from it wore the same black coat, but had silvery blue hair that covered one eye.

"The Organization," Riku murmured, keeping his tone carefully neutral.

"Indeed," the stranger answered. "Perhaps I can be of assistance to you?"

"I'm curious as to how you think you can help me? You use darkness too."

"Quite so, but as you can see I am also unencumbered by it and can move about freely even within the Realm of Light. Do you not wish to have the same again?"

"Tempting, but what do you want?"

"Vexen has discovered that his work is for naught, and has been reprimanded for taking matters into his own hands without consulting the Superior, and thus the matter of you has been turned over to me. I offer you a way back from the darkness, the safe return of your Keyblade, and a purpose."

"And in return?"

"Vexen's original offer to you was extended by the Superior, and his offer still stands. You stand to gain a great deal simply by assisting us."

"Two problems," Riku said after pretending to consider this. "First, I don't know who you are. And second, Vexen told me I'd need a Keyblade to be of any help to you."

"These are no problems, merely obstacles to be overcome with the proper tools. Tools which I possess. My name is Zexion, and I believe it may indeed be possible for you to obtain a Keyblade without pursuing your friend Sora."

"Well, go away. I'll think about it and figure out some way of telling you what I decide when I get around to it."

"As you see fit. Should you have need of me, merely speak my name and I will come to you."

"That's it? You're not going to hurry me along like Vexen did?"

"Why should I?" he shrugged. "It is your choice, not mine. I see no gain in pushing you to take up our offer. I am quite patient, and willing to indulge your need for consideration. Take all the time you need, Riku. The Organization will be waiting."

And with that, he disappeared back into the corridor he'd left open.

So the Organization knew where he was and what had happened to him, but seemed unaware of his renewed friendship with Sora or the suspicions Mickey had shared with him.

With a sparkle in the air, Mickey appeared alongside a tall human in a long blue wizardly robe and hat.

"Are you alright, Riku?" Mickey asked, clearly concerned.

"We watched your visitation from afar," the stranger, presumably Yen Sid, explained. "But we were too distant to hear or see anything."

"Uh, I'm fine... he just wanted to make an offer to me. The Organization still wants me to work for them. I just told him I'd think about it."

"Then there is no immediate concern. Be at ease," he told Mickey.

"Sorry," Mickey murmured. "I guess I just got worried when I saw Zexion." Then he remembered himself and added, "Riku, this is my mentor, Master Yen Sid."

"Excuse me for not getting up," Riku said with a brief inclination of his head and a faint smile. "I'm not feeling my usual self here."

"Quite understandable," Yen Sid replied. "Mickey has been explaining everything to me. You have suggested quite a dangerous path, Riku. Not only must you convince the Organization of your complete and total loyalty to them, you must also square with Ansem, Seeker of Darkness."

"But I destroyed him just before we closed the Door to Darkness."

"His form, yes, but not his essence. It remains within all those who hosted him. When you returned Sora to the Realm of Light, you purged him of Ansem's touch, but he remains within you. He will test you from within, seeking to subvert you."

"How do I get rid of him for good?"

"That is not a question within my power to answer. Know that if you take this path, you alone must bear the consequences. It will be quite difficult for you and Mickey to meet regularly or even often, and so you must be prepared to take the initiative, think ahead and hope he and I comprehend. You must further the goals of the Organization while you further our own, and be ready to handle even the slightest discrepancy. Will you accept this, Riku?"

Riku thought hard. It sounded almost like what he'd been doing with Maleficent anyway. Instead of doing what she wanted, it would be for this Superior, and he'd be sabotaging those efforts if he could while protesting innocence.

"No problem," he answered confidently. "I'll handle Ansem _and_ the Organization and still come through better off than when I started."

"Good luck, Riku," Mickey told him. "You're braver than I am. I don't think I could do the same."

"What about you?" Riku asked him. "What are you going to do?"

"Mickey and I will try to make sense of your own activities and plan accordingly. We must also locate Sora, and send him on his own journey. It is possible the two of you will encounter each other on your journeys, but do not forget your role."

Riku nodded, then remembered something. "What about those white creatures? Can you tell me what they are?"

"Better that you find out from the Organization than I. They may grow suspicious if you have too much knowledge in advance. Now it is time for you to take your leave from us, Riku. I will send you to a world within the Realm of Darkness, and from there you are on your own. Hope that the Organization does not fall behind in appealing to you."

He almost protested, but realized there was no real point. His view flashed white, then he was in another world, a strange one he'd never been in before. It appeared to be a moonlit beach, littered with rocks and what appeared to be dead plant life, with large trunks creating random sculptures of dead white branches.

"You have arrived," a voice said. Riku looked around sharply, trying to identify who was speaking, but it was apparent the speaker was not talking to him. He cautiously looked around several rocks to see two figures, both wearing the coat of the Organization with the hood raised.

"Who are you?" the standing one asked the one perched on a rock.

"I'm all that's left," it replied. "Or maybe... I'm all there ever was."

"I meant your name." It was so close to Sora's voice, but at the same time very different.

"My name is of no importance," the seated one responded. This voice was also familiar, like Ansem's but again subtly different. "What about you? Do you remember your true name?"

"My true name is..." the other began, but then shook his head.

"You have been with us for long enough now. It is time you began to learn what is expected of you. Return and tell Saïx he is to begin."

"You're not coming?"

"I have... matters to attend to." They both watched the standing figure consider this for a moment, then stride up the beach and into a dark corridor. "You may come out now, Riku," the remaining figure, still sat atop the rock, told him. "There are no others here."

"How did you know?" Riku asked him cryptically.

"Those who use darkness extensively begin to smell it in others." As Riku came into view, the hood was pushed back to reveal a face again similar to Ansem's, but slightly different. "Fear not," he reassured Riku. "I am not Ansem."

"I didn't think so. So who are you, and don't give me the same answer you did him."

"You have previously known me as the Superior, but I am known better as Xemnas, the Nobody of Xehanort. Ansem is his Heartless, and so you understand why we appear to be so similar."

"I get it. I guess you know why I'm here, too."

"You have come to take up the offer I extended, no?" Riku merely nodded. "Then you will be needing these." A coat and gloves were handed to him, identical to Xemnas's own. "They will protect you further from the darkness, and also offer some similar safeguards from the effects of the light. You will be able to venture into the Realm of Light with these, but only for limited periods. Put them on, then allow me to show you to our headquarters and explain our situation in greater detail."

Riku didn't raise any objections. This was exactly what he wanted.


	18. Getting Organized

The Organization made its headquarters in what they called the World That Never Was, in the rather unimaginatively named Castle That Never Was. They had picked up a thirteenth member since Vexen had originally contacted him, but otherwise remained exactly the same.

Neither Vexen or Zexion were around, though other members were seen during Riku's guided tour of the castle. At Xemnas's request, Riku had kept the hood on his coat up, keeping him anonymous to all other members.

He had yet to meet all the members though, and got the distinct impression he wasn't likely to either, not yet at least. While he had not been introduced to any members he'd met, Xemnas had managed to casually work the names of those he spoke with into the conversation, and thus Riku could now identify Saïx, Xigbar, Axel and Demyx, and knew of Marluxia, Larxene, Lexaeus and Xaldin.

The Organization's end goal he already knew thanks to his earlier meetings with Vexen, saving Xemnas the time of explaining them. Instead he identified the white creatures as Nobodies, or more accurately the Lesser Nobodies – the thirteen members of the Organization were the Greater Nobodies, identified simply as Nobodies. All of which created in the same was as one Heartless created another, except a bit more of the unfortunate victim was kept, and that was what became the Nobody.

Then Xemnas had made arrangements for him to be given a room alongside those belonging to the other members, locking him in for several reasons – not least of which was to prevent any curious members coming to investigate in the night.

Riku had also been left with a number of notes on the coat of theirs he now wore, discovering that Xemnas had been truthful when he said it would allow him back into the Realm of Light – but for short times only, and for only a fraction of that time would he be unhindered as he had been outside Yen Sid's tower. It masked the darkness so the light would not react against it, but it could not keep it out interminably. Light always managed to shine out in the end.

Now it was morning, though this world seemed to be permanently night outside. Dark City below was lit up in a multicolour of lights from the buildings and reflections from puddles where the interminable rain had collected. Occasionally a Nobody strayed into view, most without concern for the weather, but a few seemed curious when they encountered their own reflection in the water. Perhaps they were freshly created Nobodies?

His door clicked, then Xemnas let himself in.

"Did you sleep soundly?" he inquired, joining him beside the window.

"Better than usual," Riku murmured in response. "It's been a while since I had a proper bed to myself. I had a room in Hollow Bastion, but I never really spent much time actually sleeping there."

"Good. You have a busy day ahead of you. There are some few members that should be made aware of your identity."

"And the rest of them?"

"Will know you only as an unnamed agent, ensuring that the work is being done and taking action as necessary. But that will come later; first we should see to those who need know of you." He opened a corridor nearby then said, "After you, Riku. They await our arrival."

As he passed through this corridor, he could tell the coat made a difference already. It was easier to make progress through it, even easier than before, and there was no need for him to protect himself against the harmful effects it should have had – it was all handled for him. Formidable protection, for something so simple.

They exited out into an open area, apparently raised above much of the rest of the castle. Sat around them were several members he could identify. Zexion and Vexen he recognised easily, sat in discussion on one edge examining a book in Zexion's hands with interest. Saïx was stood sternly to one side, listening to the few short words being exchanged by two members he had only heard of until now, Lexaeus and Xaldin. Separate from the rest of them at the top of the steps leading down into the castle, there was one member who'd elected to keep their hood raised. Riku got the impression that this was the same member he'd seen when Yen Sid had first transported him to the beach with Xemnas on.

"Are you sure it's a good idea to tell all of these?" Riku murmured as the corridor closed behind them.

"All but him," Xemnas answered, looking toward the hooded member. "Wait here." Xemnas joined that member, while the various others glanced up to notice Riku. He pretended to ignore them, glancing up at the stars in the night sky as he listened on on Xemnas's conversation. "What are you doing here?" he asked the hooded member.

"I wanted to see him," the reply came. Definitely the same one from the beach. "What's wrong with that?"

"His identity is of no concern to you. You were meant to have departed for your mission with Axel already."

"It can wait," he shrugged. "It's not like there's anything I don't already know."

"Get moving Roxas, or you'll be the first to find out what his purpose is."

"You coulda just told me," Roxas muttered irritably, stalking back down the stairs. "I wouldn't have minded then."

"Roxas!" Xemnas called warningly.

"Alright already, I'm going!" he snapped back. For someone without a heart like the rest of these Nobodies, he had remarkable emotion to him.

With Roxas heading off to whatever his mission was, Xemnas gathered the rest nearby.

"What passes between us here remains between us," he began. "As you have no doubt already noticed, our guest here is not a Nobody. Riku has agreed to work with us, and in exchange we are extending our assistance in obtaining him a Keyblade that he too might further our goals."

"And until then?" Xaldin asked, not one to use more words than necessary it seemed.

"Isn't it obvious?" Vexen said, exasperated. "He does whatever we need him to. How else is he meant to make up for the work we'll have to put in?"

"Actually, that isn't entirely accurate," Zexion corrected him calmly. "It is plainly clear that only we are to know of his identity, so he can hardly do whatever we require unless his is in the company of one of us."

"You're wrong, Zexion. If I keep my hood up and don't say anything unless I absolutely have to, I can work with any of you or them," Riku pointed out. "So maybe there might be a few rumours or suspicions once they see the Soul Eater in my hand, but what of it? It's not like a Keyblade that chooses who holds it; anyone can pick it up and use it."

"Point," Lexaeus murmured. "Where do you plan to find a Keyblade?" he asked Xemnas.

"I believe there is no need to search," Xemnas answered. "I have already located one. Whether she will allow another to bear her Keyblade or not remains to be seen, but that will be up to me to resolve."

"She?" Riku asked. "There's someone else out there with a Keyblade, and you're going to get her to lend it to me?"

"In a manner of speaking. Until the time comes for you to attempt to take up that Keyblade, I want you to work with Saïx. I need not remind you that your hood should be kept raised unless you are certain about the company."

Riku nodded, as did Saïx. "You and I will remain here today," he told Riku. "Unless there is a need for you to aid or investigate another member, you will most likely remain here until you have your Keyblade."

"And afterwards, I get to harvest hearts for your Kingdom Hearts," Riku finished. "Vexen explained that to me," he added, noticing a few curious looks. There were a few harder looks toward Vexen, who quickly stepped back.

"That was only because I was trying to obtain his loyalty to us!" he covered quickly. "I may not have succeeded, but you can't say I didn't have a hand in helping him come to us!"

"Enough," Xemnas said. It was not spoken loudly, but it was obeyed all the same. "Go to work. There is much to be done."

All of them except Saïx departed through their own corridors, leaving the two of them alone. Saïx began to lead him back down into the castle.

"Roxas was quite insistent he get to see you," Saïx told him.

"Any idea why?"

"Perhaps he is picking up on a link his Somebody may have had with you. The person he was before losing his heart," Saïx added, seeing the blank look.

"Don't think so, I never knew anyone by his name."

"You wouldn't have. To create our names, our true names were rearranged with an additional 'x' – I for example used to be known as Isa."

Riku thought for a moment, removing the 'x' from Roxas. "Sora?" he asked in disbelief, quickly realizing the name they could make. "But that's not possible, I saw him just before I got trapped in the Realm of Darkness. He can't be a Nobody."

"Nevertheless, he is the Nobody of Sora. There may be an explanation somewhere, but wherever it is, we do not possess it."

"How did he end up getting created then?" Riku wondered.

"You continue to ask questions there are no answers to," Saïx noted. "If we knew that, we would understand how you have seen both Sora and Roxas alive and well."

"I guess it's just a bit of a shock to find out this happened. I mean, Sora is my best friend. It's sort of unexpected to find he's either become or he's got a Nobody."

"Understandable. But leave the discovery of that information to us. Your concern should be assisting us. Roxas has a Keyblade of his own, perhaps due to being Sora's Nobody, and thus has already begun to harvest hearts for us. When you pick up your own Keyblade, work will progress quicker."

"This Kingdom Hearts. It'll give you all your own hearts, right?" Saïx nodded. "So what would it get me?"

"Perhaps you could ask it to purge you of the darkness that locks you out of the Realm of Light. The power of Kingdom Hearts is vast; there are few things beyond its power.

"Maybe it could also tell me why Sora's been acting strangely ever since we left the islands."

"I believe that answer lies with Vexen," Saïx replied. "Though I have no confirmation, and I would advise against pressing him for answers without some hard evidence there is a link between him and Sora. Hood up," he added. "There appear to be a few members who have not yet departed for their missions today."

Riku obliged, looking into the large room beyond. A semicircle in the same whites the rest of the castle showed, with the back wall entirely glass. Three members sat around a table playing cards, apparently not noticing their arrival. Riku recognised only one of them, Demyx. The rest were unfamiliar to him.

"Who are they?" Riku whispered to Saïx.

"Demyx, Luxord and Marluxia," Saïx responded in kind. "They were meant to have left."

Riku stepped in front of him, pushing back the hood just enough to reveal a smile. "Let me. After all, isn't this what I'm here for?"

Saïx considered it for a moment, then nodded. Riku retreated back into the cover of the hood, summoned Soul Eater, then approached the table. Just as Luxord reached for a card from the table, he swiftly jabbed down at the table from above, only narrowly missing Luxord's hand. All three of them noticed him now.

With his free hand, the cards were plucked from there hands, with any protests cut short by a quick movement by Soul Eater, until he held the entire pack in one hand. Then he pointed Soul Eater to the window.

The three of them wasted no time in picking up or acting on the implications of that silent statement, departing in moments. Only Luxord paused on his way out.

"I don't suppose you'd care to give my cards back?" he asked. Riku just pocketed them, dismissed Soul Eater, then crossed his arms. "Right. Thought not. Had to ask though." Then he was gone.

Saïx joined him, still looking stern, but there appeared to be the faintest hints of a smile playing over his lips.

"Interesting solution," he remarked.


	19. Roxas

Riku remained in the Grey Area with Saïx, learning about the various quirks of each of the other members, how to handle them and more. He did not mention himself or Xemnas, though Riku doubted he'd ever have the chance to have to deal with either outside of what he was already doing.

As each of the members returned from their tasks for the day, some in pairs, others alone, he remained just behind Saïx, hands on the top of Soul Eater, while the tip of the blade rested on the floor as a mute gesture of what might happen if they misbehaved. During a quiet moment, Saïx remarked that a number of attitudes had 'mysteriously' improved because of him.

Roxas and Axel were the last to report back for the day. Axel quickly filled Saïx in before he left, but Roxas paused as he left, glancing back to Riku with a curious expression. After a few moments to think, he turned and rejoined them.

"Is there something else?" Saïx inquired. Roxas ignored him, focused on Riku.

"I've seen you before, I know it," he said. Riku just shrugged. "Just who are you?"

"That is none of your concern," Saïx told him. Roxas shot him a venomous look.

"Who are you to do his talking for him? I want to hear it right from him."

"He will likely not answer."

Roxas looked back to him. "Well?" he demanded harshly. Riku made no reaction in the slightest, concealing a smile within the hood. Just as stubborn as Sora himself was. "Say something, damn you!" Roxas exclaimed, trying to kick at one shin.

He stepped back to avoid that, taking Soul Eater in one hand ready to defend himself, then in a low murmur replied, "Then defeat me."

"Not here," Saïx warned them, getting ready to step between them, but Roxas shoved him roughly aside with a disgusted sound, a Keyblade flashing into one hand. It was much different to others Riku had seen, with the handle not aligned with the blade. Instead it was offset to be in line with the key part of the blade, lending itself to the unusual reverse grip Roxas had taken on it. It was mostly dark greys, but a part of the handle seemed a more dull golden colour, the only brightness to it being on the chain, and its attached green gem which sported two silver feathers spiralling around it.

He had expected Roxas to wield the blade awkwardly because of the reverse grip it seemed to require, but after he'd made a few swings for him it was clear he knew how to handle this Keyblade. Riku stepped back from each strike first, then when there was a break in Roxas's attack he retaliated with short and swift jabs. One jab low brought his Keyblade down and left him open for a slash higher up. The coat seemed to absorb the damage, remaining resistant to harm, but it was clear Roxas felt the effects of the attack all the same.

Roxas made another round of attacks, quicker and stronger this time, forcing him to block them instead of simply move clear. This time when he countered, he used Soul Eater as a distraction while he landed punches with his free hand, eventually ducking down low to avoid one hasty attempt to cut through his defences, striking out hard on the back of one of Roxas's knees. It buckled, but he remained stood up.

Then Saïx was there.

"That's enough!" he commanded, dragging Roxas away from him. "You're irresponsible, Roxas! The Organization needs you intact, not off fighting pointless battles that you're hopelessly incapable of handling. You're not skilled enough or ready to take him on yet, and you've no reason to. Pick another fight with him and you'll be in trouble. Now go."

Roxas glared at them both, then turned to leave, muttering to himself animatedly.

"I would have beaten you, you know," he told Riku just before he left.

"In your dreams," Riku snorted.

"You should have known better," Saïx told him, more calmly. "This was neither the time or place for that."

"I didn't exactly expect him to take me up on it. It got rid of him though, and he'll think twice before tangling with me again. He fights a lot like Sora does, though Sora never had a Keyblade like that one. I can deal with him easily."

"You'd better hope you're right if he decides to try that again."

"Hope is for people who aren't confident in their own skill," Riku told him diffidently, now also leaving.

* * *

><p>Riku rose early for the next day, knowing that if he were the first one up, he could observe the other members better in the Grey Area, making his presence known and keeping them in line.<p>

Only Luxord was up earlier than he was, leaning back in one of the couches disconsolately. He glanced up as Riku came in, looking faintly hopeful, but then once he realized it was Riku he returned to staring out the window. Riku paused as he passed, taking out the cards he'd confiscated the day before and handing them back.

"Behave yourself," he told Luxord, keeping his voice low as he had done for Roxas so it would be harder to identify. Luxord almost snatched them up, starting to lay them out on the table with a brief muttered thanks.

Riku took up the same position he had the day before, though Saïx had not yet risen. After a time, he started to see the other members join them. Some pretended not to notice him and continued about their usual routines with indifference. Others took a glance at him, then kept mostly to themselves, watching him carefully. Vexen was one such member.

When Roxas joined them, he gave Riku another glare, then stalked to one side of the room to talk with Axel. After only a few moments discussion between them, Axel looked up and over to Riku, murmured something to him, then came over.

"What did you do that to him for?" Axel asked.

"He should have listened to Saïx," Riku shrugged. "There's no reason for him to know anything about me for now, but he insists on knowing anyway. He should learn to accept that he won't learn until it's necessary."

"What's wrong with telling him something in advance?" Axel replied, but Riku said nothing more, having spotted Saïx enter the Grey Area. "Man, you're almost as talkative as he was when he first joined us," Axel complained.

"Is there a problem here?" Saïx said, joining them.

"Of course not. I've just been asking your bully boy here why he felt the need to attack Roxas."

"Roxas provoked him. Now take Roxas to Twilight Town and begin your mission for today."

"Oh, come on, Saïx. You promised me I wouldn't have to look after the kid today."

"Either that, or I send our agent here with him, and find they've carved into each other while away."

Axel glanced back to Riku again, then sighed. "Fine. But you're gonna make this up to me. I want a break soon, and no getting out of it this time."

"Perhaps if there was another choice," Saïx muttered as Axel left again.

"What of the other members?" Riku suggested.

"Only Xigbar is willing to try it, and Xemnas has other plans for him that I dare not overrule."

"You're the one calling the shots for the rest of them," Riku pointed out. "Just lump them together and if they object tell them it's on orders from Xemnas. Who cares if they're not really from him if it stops Roxas getting into trouble because of me?"

"And then when Xemnas finds out?"

"Just say you're cutting down on the work he needs to do, handling the decisions for him so there's less discontent in the ranks. That way they'll hate him instead of you, and everyone hates their boss. Xemnas probably expects it."

"Perhaps there is something to what you suggest. Go after Axel and Roxas and keep an eye on them. Don't let them know you're there, just watch and listen. I want to know Axel's position on you, and if he doesn't think anyone but Roxas is listening he may be more open."

"Right. What's their mission meant to be?"  
>"Clearing an outbreak of Guardians in Twilight Town. Be wary, Riku – you need us as much as we need you."<p>

Riku just nodded, thrusting out one arm to create the corridor.


	20. Changes

The rooftops of Twilight Town gave perfect opportunity to observe Roxas and Axel unseen, as the Guardians focused on the Keyblade Roxas held and ignored Riku – who's own Keyblade for now resided with Sora. This in tandem with the coat concealed him from the Heartless except where he exerted any control over them.

Roxas seemed to have unusual flares of feeling to him for a Nobody though, continuing to hold a grudge against Riku for his actions the previous day, a grudge that he took out on the Heartless. Axel barely had a chance to cut himself into any of the action.

"It's not even as if he's a Nobody," Roxas complained to Axel while they continued to hunt for the next of their targets. "I mean, we'd know if he was, right?"

"He could be," Axel replied. "But no one's telling us anything Roxas. You know as much as I do. I could pick Saïx's brain over it, see what he'll let me in on, but if he's had orders..."

"Yeah, well what if those orders told him to come up with a cover story, huh?"

"You're thinking into it too much. Xemnas wouldn't do something like that."

"So why is the Agent such a big secret then?" Roxas demanded, smashing aside a Soldier that had gotten too close. Most of the lesser Heartless he ignored, Riku noted absently – at least until they were close enough to deal with.

Riku reached out to find the local Heartless population with the remnant darkness that was still resident within him – lessened since Ansem's defeat, but still present like a looming shadow of a storm. Ansem had left him with a lot of darkness.

Still three Guardians in Twilight Town, and another one outside the old mansion that he doubted they'd think to look for until they'd searched everywhere else. Plenty of Shadow and Soldier activity, but no major threats. Perhaps the proximity to the Realm of Light limited what could appear here.

Just that thought alone reminded him it was only the coat the Organization had given him that protected him while here, and then only for a limited time. After that he'd be left open to it again, and would suffer the same way he had before. Not an appealing prospect.

"I get the feeling he's familiar though," Roxas's voice reached him, jerking his attention back to them. "I can't place why, but I know I've seen him before."

"Maybe your Somebody knew him?" Axel suggested.

"We don't even know who I was before I became a Nobody," Roxas shook his head. "For all we know, I could have been a prince or a pirate – or maybe even some kind of powerful sorcerer."

"Can't see you matching up to any of them somehow. Heads up," he added as another Guardian dropped down in front of them.

Riku drew back as the two circled the Guardian in case they spotted him, but it was clear Roxas at least was focused on the Guardian. A high strike snagged it and brought it down to his level where he battered away with a string of blows, emphasized with some creative oaths. He had a heart alright, but how?

Roxas continued to mutter to himself, just quiet enough that Riku couldn't make out more than a few words without getting too close. Axel just ignored it as they continued around, finding the last two Guardians just behind one shop.

Another interesting couple of points were his Keyblade and his clearly evident skill with it. While he was hardly a match for Riku still, it seemed difficult to believe that he'd had time enough to become this skilled if the continual suggestions he was a fairly recent addition were anything to go by. So how did he know how to use one this well?

"Just one more to go," Axel reminded Roxas.

"Yeah, one more to go before I have to see the Agent beside Saïx again," Roxas muttered darkly.

"Look on the bright side – at least you know he's not going to attack you again unless you provoke him."

"I didn't provoke him!" Roxas snapped hotly. "If he'd just said something instead of standing there like some dumb mute letting Saïx do all the talking, he'd never have attacked me!"

Riku rolled his eyes with a silent sigh. He could at least admit he'd been given the chance not to take up his challenge.

"He must have had some reason to do it, Roxas," Axel said, trying to be reasonable. "Like he must have some reason for being let in if he really isn't a Nobody the way you're suggesting."

"Well if you find out anything, let me know will you? I'm hardly going to go ask either of them myself. I doubt I'd even get the time of day off them. Where is that last Guardian?"

"Beats me. I thought we'd combed the town completely, unless its taken to hiding up on the clock tower. Anyway, what gives you the idea I'm going to get anything more than you about it?"

"You're friends with Saïx, aren't you? I remember something about you... well, who you used to be, anyway. Can't quite recall."

"You remember that? But how?"

"Think I'd be here if I had all the answers?"

"I dunno... I'll talk with him, but don't get your hopes up. I get the feeling anything I do get is gonna come filtered through Saïx, and something tells me he isn't going to win the chatterbox of the month award either."

"Pessimist," Roxas grumbled. "Honestly, where is this stupid thing?"

"How should I know?" Axel retorted, showing at last some kind of irritation. "It's not like I have answers either!"

Saïx had said not to intervene but he realized if they kept this up, he'd get nothing and they'd probably be at each other's throats before long. Maybe it was time to see how they'd react to the more benevolent side of their 'Agent'.

Riku created a corridor that exited not far from them, ensured his hood was still concealing his identity along the way, then stepped out in front of them.

"What's taking so long?" he asked, keeping his voice quiet but neutral. To his concealed surprise, it sounded noticeably different to usual. A different tone and slightly different inflections.

"What's it to you?" Roxas responded, sounding disgusted.

"There's a Guardian that's somehow managed to escape us," Axel answered instead.

"Turncoat," Roxas muttered.

"This way," Riku told them, ignoring the comment. Roxas held back, but reluctantly joined them after Axel chose to follow.

"Y'know, this is almost perfect," Roxas whispered to Axel. "His back's to us, and he isn't expecting it – we could get the drop on him before he even knows what hit him."

"I dunno Roxas, we could get in trouble if Saïx sent him. Or if he finds out what we did."

"Who's side are you on here? Don't tell me you want him kept around too."

"Well, when ya put it that way..."

"Don't bother," Riku threw back over one shoulder. "You're still no match for me."

"So you do have a voice of your own then," Axel said. "Was starting to wonder if this morning was something I should mark off on a calender."

"You should still mark it off. He probably still won't say much – not without Saïx prompting him all the time," Roxas added nastily.

"Ever considered that I just don't have anything to say to tiresome brats?" Riku replied. He didn't even have to be looking at Roxas to know he'd taken on an expression that showed he knew who Riku had been talking about.

He was certain now. His voice was changing, but why? It was a familiar voice though. It was his – no, not his, Riku's. That was, Riku from the islands, before the storm.

"Up ahead," Riku told them just before they reached the grassy lawns in front of the mansion. "Don't dawdle once you've completed your mission."

"No, of course not," Roxas muttered. "We wouldn't want to be late for your performance of silence in C major."

Riku concealed a faint smile at Roxas's remark, then waited until they had found their target to create a corridor back to the Organization's castle.

"Well?" Saïx asked shortly as he exited at the other end.

"Hard to say," Riku replied. "Axel was trying to be reasonable with Roxas over me. He seems reluctant to act against me, at least. Oh, and he's going to come to you to try and get answers about me for Roxas."

"Is that all?"

"Everything worth note," he shrugged. "I'd like to know more about Roxas though. There's something odd about him – his Keyblade, the skill he has with it even though he seems to be fairly new and his personality."

"You know as much as we do, Riku. Perhaps if we learn more, we will share that information with you."

"I'd appreciate it. They should be back before long anyway. I had to direct them to their last target, otherwise they'd have been there all day."

"Didn't I say not to get involved?"

"Just using my own judgement."

Saïx almost replied, but thought better as three dark corridors opened in various parts of the room. One deposited Vexen, another Zexion, and the nearest final one Axel and Roxas. Roxas gave Riku a glare, muttered something to Axel then left.

"What is your problem with him, Roxas?" Axel called after him. Roxas ignored him.

"See what I mean about reluctance?" Riku murmured to Saïx, taking his habitual position nearby. Saïx nodded almost imperceptibly.

Vexen and Zexion immediately went into discussion with each other, leaving Axel to report back for him and Roxas.

"Your mission was completed. You might want to keep him away from Roxas though," Axel added with a nod to Riku. "Put them in a room together and they'll tear each other to shreds.

"Speak for yourself," Riku muttered. "I've no reason to harm him. I'd just be defending myself."

"Roxas thinks otherwise."

"What Roxas thinks is of no moment," Saïx cut across them smoothly. "I've spoken with Xemnas. Your break may have to be postponed."

"Are you kidding me?" Axel demanded "Why now?"

"We may soon find out. I will fill you in later."

Once Axel had left, Zexion and Vexen joined them instead.

"The castle is definitely unoccupied," he told Saïx without preamble. "Except for the girl Demyx mentioned in his last report. It seems she has some kind of power that involves a Keyblade wielder other than our own."

"That's not all," Vexen broke in, sounding almost excited. "The castle itself has some kind of innate power. It reacts to memories and to what people expect to see. I believe we can exploit both it and this girl to our own ends."

"Another Keyblade wielder?" Saïx asked. "Who?"

"We don't know yet," Zexion replied. "If I can gain authorization, I will make that my mission tomorrow."

"I also have a request for my own mission tomorrow – I want to see if I can learn more about the castle's powers, so we can better make use of them."

"I will speak with the Superior," Saïx promised them, then said no more.

* * *

><p>As evening descended, Riku retreated back to the room they'd given him. A chance glance in a small mirror that had been left lying around made him pause, then step back to take a second look.<p>

It wasn't just his voice changing. His hair was starting to take on a brown colour like Sora's. Either something strange was happening to him, or something was happening to Sora that was affecting him.


	21. Organization Dog

Riku largely ignored the changes slowly happening to him. Aside from the darkening of his hair there were no changes to his appearance, and the change in his voice was useful. He no longer had to actively try and sound different to usual because that was handled for him now.

Over the days since he'd intervened in Roxas's mission alongside Axel he'd had little reason to leave the Castle. Saïx had told him that Xemnas' orders were only to send him out if another member required it until he was able to secure Riku a Keyblade.

This left him with time to spare between members leaving and returning, time he put to use in the Organization's considerable library, searching it for anything it could yield about Nobodies and the heart. It turned up all manner of interesting facts and an entire volume written by 'Ansem the Wise' which went into great detail on the Heartless, but very little about Nobodies. For now at least, the mystery of Roxas's emotions remained just that.

During all this he made sure he rose early to overhear the morning conversations between other members before Saïx arrived, which also kept him informed of a great many things. Vexen and Zexion seemed greatly interested in a place they called Castle Oblivion, frequently discussing means of influencing it.

Castle Oblivion was also mentioned by Marluxia and Larxene several times, though they spoke of the girl there, Naminé, and of 'another Keyblade Master'. It sounded like they too had plans for the Castle, but the didn't coincide with any other plans he'd overheard. More like they had aspirations of their own that were the result of ambition.

Roxas, naturally, kept up his hostile front to all but a few members. Axel could only be called his friend and frequent confidant, while he kept a wary distance from Lexaeus and Xaldin. Xigbar was treated with extreme suspicion, but most peculiar of them all was his odd relation to Zexion – who deferred to Roxas despite his higher rank.

There was never an opportunity to investigate though. Saïx had him remain at the castle at all times, and after apparently deciding he could be trusted with it, Riku received the reports for him as well.

"It allows me to pursue my own goals," he told Riku early one morning. "And because you have a heart, you may notice something I do not when receiving a report. It may be that your own reports to me when taken together have much more information to them than I would normally notice."

"In other words, you think I might get a gut feeling that you can't," Riku said shrewdly.

"Precisely. This also places some measure of protection over you too, as it places you between them and me – they will not act directly against you because you, like me, report directly to lord Xemnas. You may give them an order, and they will never know if it comes from you, me, or him."

"Useful to know. Has he mentioned anything about a Keyblade lately?"

"That I cannot say. Xemnas has been preoccupied of late. Merely have patience, Riku. You are our concern as much as we are yours. We look after our own."

"Unless they turn on you," Riku pointed out. "Something I suspect Marluxia of."

"That is known about. Hush now," he murmured as Luxord entered, holding a hushed conversation with Xigbar.

Riku took his habitual place beside Saïx, hands resting on the top of Soul Eater as always. It tended to persuade people to behave, he'd noticed. Well, except for Roxas.

"You think there might be something to his work then?" Luxord was asking Xigbar.

"Possible," he replied, tugging at one ear. "To be frank, I couldn't care less what he thinks it'll be like. Just that it does what we need it to."

"If it starts to think on its own though..."

Xigbar sprawled onto a couch before he answered. "He needs to test the theory first. I told him to give it a go at Castle Oblivion – if he can get in there."

"Any idea what they're talking about?" Riku murmured to Saïx.

"Vexen's most recent experiment, the Replica Program. With it, one may create a copy of another individual."

"Like Roxas?"

"That is what we hope. If they have a Keyblade of their own... but there remains much work to be done with the project."

Riku filed that nugget of information away for later, continuing to watch as the morning got started in earnest. Most members headed straight for their missions, some not even needing to stop by Saïx except to let him know they were leaving – Vexen and Zexion specifically.

Xaldin, normally not one to show any outward sign of even faked emotion, looked rather disappointed when he was told he was to accompany Roxas to Agrabah, which didn't sit well with Roxas.

"You're sending Dragonbreath with me?" he demanded indignantly. "You think I need a keeper or something?"

"Just someone to keep an eye on you," Saïx replied calmly. "If it were anyone else I would send him with you," he gestured to Riku. "But given your reaction toward him..."

"Forget it. I'm going alone."

"You will do no such thing."

"I don't need help from anyone!"

"Then why are you here?"

Roxas started to say something, then stopped and stared. After a moment he stalked off toward Axel, muttering complaints to himself.

"What made him stop?" Riku wondered to himself.

"He knows he needs us. No heart, but feelings he cannot control. Without us he stands no chance of solving either. I have a special task for you today," he added as the last of them finally left. "This list details each of the members that are to be assigned to Castle Oblivion and their tasks there. Some know their task already, others do not."

"You want me to confirm it for each of them then," Riku replied, skimming down the list.

"In whatever means you see fit. I will be away until sometime tomorrow with my own concerns, so tomorrow morning you will also be the one to hand out their missions – you will find them on the second page."

"You trust me to do that?"

"You have given no reason not to be trusted," Saïx shrugged. "And if nothing else, this will be a good test of that trust. I will return tomorrow," he repeated, then opened a corridor and left.

"How remarkable," Riku said to himself. "And there I was thinking I was going to have to plan a way to act right under his nose. Instead you give me exactly what I needed, Saïx."

The lists clearly showed Saïx wrote things out the same way he said them – short, clipped and using only as many words as he felt necessary. As he read through the folder of pages he found separate ones detailing the missions and known intel after the two lists, to ensure they were aware of any concerns there.

Much of them were similar, as six of the members were being dispatched to Castle Oblivion in the morning – Axel among them. He suspected that wouldn't sit too well with Roxas, let alone having to take orders from him.

The others being sent there had their own tasks. Zexion would be providing data to the other members as needed, Vexen testing out his Replica Program, while Lexaeus was assigned as 'heavy support'.

Marluxia and Larxene were being sent there ostensibly to coordinate the use of the Castle and a girl known as Naminé in an attempt to subvert the Keyblade Master that would be arriving there. Riku already had a fair idea it would be Sora going there, and he knew he'd have to be careful about any sabotage he caused.

Axel's official capacity there was to be the one who would keep Sora moving, providing just enough of a hint whenever needed to keep him moving, or as lighter support when the brute force of Lexaeus wasn't needed. Unofficially though he was Saïx's internal agent that was being sent there to see Marluxia, Larxene and Zexion terminated.

It was not the most fascinating document, but the information Saïx had included let him in on any number of interesting insights – such as a private agreement between him and Axel to see Zexion's downfall as an 'accident', though not why. Maybe that was what he'd meant by a test of his trust.

Part way through reading he was startled by the voice of Mickey sounding seemingly from all around.

_"Riku? Can ya hear me Riku? Are you alone right now?"_

"I think so – the other members are all out right now, but I don't know what Xemnas is up to."

_"We'll chance it. I got some information for you off Yen Sid. Sora's heading to a place called Castle Oblivion."_

"I know," he replied. "The Organization will be waiting for him. They plan to subvert him if they can."

_"What? Do ya know how?"_

"I'm reading up on it now, actually. You're going to have to find a safer way to talk though, if anyone was around and found out we were keeping in touch-"

_"Right. I'll call you back as soon as I figure it out. I'm gonna head to Castle Oblivion myself to see if I can lend Sora a hand."_

"Be careful, your Majesty."

_"Didn't I tell you to call me Mickey?"_ his voice replied.

* * *

><p>While the World that Never Was remained in a perpetual state of night, Riku retained at least some sense of time. As evening drew near he made one small addition to the Grey Area, setting up a small desk not far from where he normally waited. At least sat down he could be more comfortable while he worked.<p>

Then with a notepad to hand he sat down to wait for the members to return so he could take down the details for Saï gave him a distinctly bureaucratic appearance despite the coat, but he hoped it would give them the impression that he was not just 'Saïx's bully boy'.

He looked up as the first corridor opened, then stood with some surprise as Xemnas exited.

"Is something wrong?" he asked with faint amusement.

"No, I just... I wasn't expecting you. Did Saïx..."

"I have been appraised of the situation. That is not why I came to see you though. There may be some delay in retrieving a Keyblade for your use. The one I went to see was... uncooperative."

"No matter," Riku shrugged. "Setbacks happen, and it's not as if I'm impatient."

"We would rather you were able to benefit us sooner rather than later though," Xemnas pointed out. "At any rate, I thought you should be told."

"Thanks anyway. Mind if I ask you a question now?" Xemnas merely waited, so Riku tugged back the hood of the coat. "Notice anything different?"

"A few changes to your appearance," he noted. "How did you effect them?"  
>"I didn't. They just showed up on their own. I thought maybe it might be enough to stop bothering to conceal myself."<p>

Xemnas considered it for a time, then eventually nodded, "If you feel it is the right choice, Riku. I must know however, if you plan to tell them your name."

"Why not? It isn't going to make that much difference."

"We can hope not," he replied, then left Riku to wait again.


	22. Curiosities

Lexaeus was the first to return, silently giving the Grey Area a cursory glance before he came to Riku.

"Saïx?" he asked shortly.

"Is unavailable right now," Riku answered. "You'll be making your report to me." He picked up the sheet detailing their missions, scanning through it for Lexaeus' mission, then went on, "It says here you were sent to Hollow Bastion on reconnaissance. What did you find?"

"The inhabitants are attempting to restore it. They have some rudimentary defences against the local Heartless, but the Heartless are not acting in our interests. There is another commanding them. I will investigate further tomorrow."

"No, actually, you won't. You're assigned to Castle Oblivion starting tomorrow to provide support as necessary. Investigate the basement floors alongside Zexion when you are not assisting the others."

Lexaeus stared at him. His expression hadn't changed, but he gave the impression he hadn't been expecting that.

"Was there something else?" Riku inquired as he finished noting down the report.

"You should have someone look into it," he replied eventually, then turned to leave.

He made a note of that suggestion as well, intending to pass it on to Saïx – if the Heartless weren't listening to the Organization, who was commanding them?

Axel was next to return, dragging Demyx behind him. Unlike Lexaeus he didn't show any sign there was anything out of the ordinary about going to him instead of Saïx.

"I found him sleeping on the job," Axel explained in response to Riku's curious expression. "He was _meant_ to be tailing someone over in Twilight Town."

Demyx pulled himself free from Axel's grasp only to complain. "Gimme a break, it's hot work. It's not my fault I couldn't find him."

"You'll be doing the mission again tomorrow then," Riku shrugged. "Along with the mission you're meant to be doing as well. If you think it's hot there, I'm sure I can find some other line of work – like exterminating Heartless in Agrabah."

"Agrabah?" he exclaimed. "You want to send me there? I wouldn't last ten minutes!"

"Then do your job. I'll give you tomorrow's mission in the morning. And you, Axel?"

"I did my job," he answered evasively.

Riku glanced back to the sheet again. Axel had been tasked with watching Sora.

"And you found?"

"That's between me and Saïx."

"He's busy right now. You'll have to deal with me because you'll be heading to Castle Oblivion in the morning."

Axel sighed, "Fine, but don't shoot the messenger. He gave me an idea of how you might react to finding out about this."

"Finding out about what?"

"Sora. Whoever you think he is, he's not. I've been around Vexen's test Replicas long enough to see the signs of a Replica when I see one. There's something different about him compared to the other Replicas, but I couldn't tell you what. I'm not an expert."

If Sora wasn't really Sora but a Replica... then what had happened to the real thing?

"Interesting. I'll ask Vexen when he gets back. And Axel," he called after the tall Nobody. "Let Roxas know about your orders, and make sure he understands they come from Saïx, not me. I don't need him to get any more emotional than he already is."

Axel didn't answer, instead picking a couch to sprawl into, presumably to wait for Roxas.

Xigbar returned only to leave him with a short note to let him know he'd explain later before he headed back into the castle. Before Riku could ask why another corridor deposited Marluxia, Larxene, Zexion and Vexen one after another. Saïx's notes explained they'd been sent to Castle Oblivion to make the last preparations, and it looked like they'd been working hard. Weary as they appeared, after a moment to consult among themselves they trooped over to join him.

"Everything is ready," Marluxia reported. "We just have to wait for the Keyblade Master to arrive now."

"That's not entirely true," Vexen put in. "I have yet to transfer the last of the Replica program over to the Castle, and we've not yet finished our sweeps of the lower floors. Castle Oblivion's very nature makes it difficult to be certain how effective we've been."

"Leave that to Zexion tomorrow," Riku told them. "The four of you are, obviously, all assigned there. I assume you know what part you each play. Zexion, Lexaeus will be working with you in the basements when you aren't needed upstairs. I also need to speak with you and Vexen before you leave, so I'll expect to see you before you go to bed this evening."

"Is there something wrong?" Zexion asked.

"No. I merely have something to discuss with each of you, and since I won't be at Castle Oblivion it makes sense to get it out the way before you leave. That will be all," he added, making several more notes.

Now it was just Luxord, Xaldin and Roxas left to return. Luxord had for unknown reasons been sent on a training mission to the reportedly still vacant Beast's Castle with his Gambler Nobodies, a fact that troubled Riku. He had been the one to put that world into the darkness, surely by now the inhabitants would have returned? After Lexaeus' uneventful report it seemed unlikely that the Beast himself was still at Hollow Bastion.

Roxas naturally was their only means of gathering hearts, and so it was hardly surprising what his mission was. He already knew Roxas wasn't trusted enough on his own, and that in itself explained Xaldin's presence.

When Luxord finally arrived he was clearly bothered by something. One of his Nobodies had come with him, handing him a small gold chain before it vanished.

"Stealing from the castle?" Riku asked. "I don't recall seeing that in the details of your mission."

"One of the Gamblers found it while we were in training, out in the courtyard. It could be significant."

Riku took it off him. Attached to it was a very small pocket watch, which opened to show a damaged clock and the curious words 'Missing Heart' inside.

"Interesting. I'll pass this on. Your training?"

"About as well as could be expected. The Gamblers aren't really the best Nobodies for combat though."

"You never know when they might get attacked," Riku replied, then glanced up as the last corridor opened. "That will be all. I've got them to deal with next."

Roxas's face was like a thundercloud already and didn't noticeably improve when he realised he was going to have to report to Riku.

"You talk to him," he muttered shortly to Xaldin.

"About what? It was your mission, Roxas. You must report back."

"To him?"

"Apparently so."

Riku feigned ignorance of Roxas's presence while he approached, looking up only after letting him wait before the desk.

"Ah, Roxas," Riku said calmly. "I trust you completed your mission?"

"Where's Saïx?" he snapped.

"Busy. I've been left to fill in for him. Your mission?"

"A few Deserters got away. I met the quota Saïx set, so it doesn't matter."

"Perhaps. That will be all. You should speak to Axel on your way out. I understand he has something to tell you about."

Roxas turned without another word.

"Watch him, Riku," Xaldin murmured. "I do not know how long you will be handling this for Saïx, but do not let Roxas out of your sight – or one you trust."

"No intentions of doing otherwise," Riku replied. "Anything you have to mention?"

"Roxas is becoming a loose cannon," he answered after a moment's thought. "He does the work, but he always has his eye out for opportunities. What kind, I cannot say. It seems clear enough to me that if he found another way to control his emotions, he would turn on us."

"We'll have to see that he never finds such a way then, won't we?"

"I hear Castle Oblivion will be operational tomorrow. Is that so?"

"Yes. Those assigned there have already been told. They'll be departing in the morning, probably without stopping by here for an early start."

"We may be short-handed with only seven members – excluding yourself. Take that into consideration. It may mean you'll have to go out on missions yourself – whether Saïx returns or not."

Riku mulled over those words as he watched Xaldin leave. There was clearly some dissent in the ranks. Not only did Marluxia conspire with Larxene, but Saïx and Axel had their own agreements too, and now Xaldin appeared to be suggesting that Saix might not return from his errand either.

"Something on your mind?" Xigbar asked, perching on one corner of the desk. "You're looking a bit preoccupied."

"Just all the details from everyone really," he lied. "I'm a simple guy, Xigbar. I like things nice and simple. All these details complicate things."

"Don't suppose Saïx said where he was going?"

"You really think he'd tell me? All he said was that he had something to see to and to cover for him. Anyway, what did you get up to? He didn't leave me any notes on your mission."

"I was over in Hollow Bastion on orders from Xemnas," he answered. "Had to look into a certain room for him. He's still set on trying to get a Keyblade for you, but we're not having much luck. There's only so many of them around."

"Like I told him earlier, I'm patient. There's no real rush for me."

"You make it sound almost like you're doing us a favour by helping us, Riku. As if what we're doing for you isn't all that important."

"It just depends on how things turn out," Riku shrugged. "I won't really be losing too much if this doesn't work, but it'd be nice to get back into the Realm of Light again without having to rely on this coat."

Xigbar gave him a thoughtful look before he too finally left, leaving only Vexen and Zexion in the Grey Area. Axel had left with Roxas, and all other members had gone straight out after reporting back.

Rather than wait for them, he joined them instead.

"Now that we don't have to worry about anyone else overhearing, I've a few questions for you two."

"I thought you said there wasn't anything wrong?" Vexen asked.

"I did. And there isn't. Not yet, anyway. Vexen, how many other people know how to create Replicas?"

"No one – the technology is mine entirely."

"And how many Replicas exist at the moment?"

"Three," he answered promptly. "The first escaped my control but can hardly be considered a risk. The other two I plan to take to Castle Oblivion for further testing."

"And these Replicas," Riku went on. "Do any of them by any chance resemble a certain young boy named Sora?"

Vexen's eyes turned wary, but he covered quickly. "The first may by now. It may have assumed an identity based on its experiences, as I made it without one. I had planned on using it to make a more stable version of Roxas, but it was too unpredictable for use."

"I see. I'll need to know everything you can tell me about that first Replica before you leave, in case it shows up where another mission is taking place. See to it."

"I don't have time for that. I have to prepare the last parts of the program for transfer to the Castle, and this would put me behind schedule."

"Make time," Riku told him firmly. "Unless you're going to be needed immediately, you can take the time to handle this and arrive there later than expected."

"I'll see what I can do," Vexen told him shortly, rising. "I make no promises, mind you."

"You suspect a connection between his Replica and Sora?" Zexion inquired after Vexen had left.

"It might explain why Roxas and Sora are coexisting, that's all," Riku replied. "Call it satisfying a curiosity."

"And what curiosity do you need me for?"

"You outrank Roxas, but defer to him. I just want to know why."

Zexion leaned back to stare outside for a time before he finally answered.

"Before I became a Nobody, I lived in what is now Hollow Bastion. There were creatures outside that periodically threatened the place, so I was never allowed outside on my own. I was younger back then, of course. Once I got separated from Even – now Vexen – and got caught by them. A boy with a Keyblade saved me from them. Roxas looks identical to him, Riku. He even wields the same Keyblade. I owe him," he finished simply.

"He might not be related, you know. If Roxas is Sora's Nobody..."

"They look perfectly identical," he persisted. "I went with Roxas on a mission once, and he handled that Keyblade the same way Ventus did. There is no doubt in my mind, if he is not the Nobody of Ventus, he is very closely related to him somehow."

"If it helps, I'll look into it," Riku suggested, overlooking that if Axel did as he'd agreed to then Zexion wouldn't be coming back.

"More than I can do. I've asked, but Saïx just told me to focus on the missions. I don't really mind not knowing the details – just knowing there's a connection is enough for me."


	23. Contact

Very early on the next morning, Riku was woken by Vexen knocking at the door of his room to wordlessly turn over a thin folder that was presumably what he'd asked for. There was no getting back to sleep knowing that at least some of the answers were contained within Vexen's data, so after he saw to the usual morning routines he got up early and headed to the Grey Area to read through them.

Vexen's notes were not easy to interpret at first glance, and he frequently found himself flicking back and forward through the pages as he began to understand parts of it he hadn't before. It often seemed to jump around without much logic, breaking off in the middle of explaining one function to go into detail on another.

Riku persevered though, finding the explanation for Vexen's cryptic remark about the Replica having assumed an identity – the original Replica had not been created with one in mind, being designed to pick on up based on its surroundings and the inputs it received.

Why then had it appeared to be Sora? What 'inputs' would have made it take on that form? If it even was that Replica, but it seemed likely that the Sora Replica was the first one. There had been signs he'd missed before while working with Maleficent that became clear now.

What also remained unclear was why he had acted so differently to the real Sora – at least until he had chosen to help him fend off Ansem, and there was no clear explanation for that either, only suspicions. He knew something had left him during the last fight with Sora – perhaps it had been the Replica taking the true Sora's heart?

Vexen had left him plenty of data, but too much to go through in one go. He had to file it carefully away as sounds came to him that told him one of the other members was heading toward the Grey Area.

As usual, it was Luxord that was first to rise. He gave Riku a brief nod, yawned, then as was his habit started laying out his cards. He chose not to try handing out missions right away. If they wanted to wait before getting their mission he'd let them – only for so long though.

It was some time before Xaldin showed up alongside Xigbar, neither of them showing any sign of the morning bleariness that affected some of the other members.

Xigbar chuckled to himself, coming over to join Riku.

"Isn't it nice with the loudmouths gone?" he asked quietly.

"Quieter, at least," Riku admitted. "Would you do me a favour and kick Demyx out of bed?"

"He won't like getting roused early."

"He isn't going to like me anyway," Riku shrugged. "He's got to re-do yesterday's mission as well as todays, so unless he wants to pull a late shift he can start early."

"Aren't you the slave driver?" Xigbar laughed. "Wouldn't it make sense to send someone else on one of the two?"

"I don't have anyone to spare with half of you off at Castle Oblivion and Saïx unavailable. At least not unless I reassign you from keeping watch over Roxas and go with him myself, and-"

"Point taken," Xigbar nodded. "I'll go give sleeping beauty his wake up call. With a thunderclap, if I have to," he added with an evil smirk.

Maybe Nobodies didn't have emotions, but they put on a good show of them sometimes. It almost let Riku forget their nature at times.

Not long after Xigbar left, Roxas ran in, looking around almost wildly before fixing Riku with a smouldering look.

"Where is he?" he demanded bluntly.

"You'll have to be more specific," Riku replied cooly. "There are several people that could apply to."

"Don't play dumb with me – not that you have to."

"If you mean Axel, you've already missed him. He went to Castle Oblivion in the early hours of the morning with the other assigned members."

"Already? But-"

"Was there something? Axel is doing what he was ordered to do, and the orders came from Xemnas. I was just the messenger."

Riku expected him to vent another flare of temper, but instead Roxas seemed to become oddly calm. He opened his mouth to say something, paused when the booming rumble of a thunderclap came from deeper inside the castle, then turned curiously.

"What was that?"

"Probably Xigbar waking up Demyx. Was there something else you wanted Roxas?"

"Oh. Right. What's my mission today?"

Riku made some show of re-examining Saïx's notes, not that it was necessary. He remembered the details fairly well.

"Wait for Xigbar to come back. You two will be heading to Agrabah to clear up an outbreak of Fire Plant Heartless. Eight at minimum, but there are twelve in the area and reports of a powerful Pureblood Heartless. Make sure you're ready before Xigbar returns."

Roxas just nodded and sat down on a couch to wait, puzzling Riku even further. Given Roxas's reaction to him before now, what was with the sudden change of attitude?

When Xigbar returned with an even broader grin than the one he'd left with, Demyx was sullenly following him, his long hair stuck out in a wide circle, no doubt because of the thunderclap he'd just shared a room with.

Then he started to hand out the rest of the missions. Xigbar and Roxas left as he got everyone moving, already knowing their tasks. Demyx was sent back to Twilight Town to track down someone known only as 'Pete', and to complete the mission he was meant to have performed the day before, tailing and watching a certain Seifer that had become suspicious about the Organization. He wasn't happy about having to pull double duty but reluctantly agreed he had to get it out the way before his work started piling up before him.

Xaldin was sent to the Beast's Castle this time to identify all inhabitants and any means of exploiting them for the Organization's own ends, and Luxord was directed to the new world of Halloween Town for similar reasons.

Riku considered the situation once everyone had left. Saïx had given no indication of when he intended to return, only that he'd be back sometime today. With the exception of Xemnas, he was the only one in the castle, and he suspected Xemnas was probably still working at trying to get him a Keyblade.

He could go to Castle Oblivion himself to see what Vexen could be persuaded to say or to see what they were doing with Sora, but either action would raise suspicions about him. What he really needed right now was a means of contacting Mickey to let him know what was going on, a way that wouldn't alert anyone to his actions.

More out of a need to do something, Riku eventually decided to see who was now living in Hollow Bastion, since the tenants when he had last been there had been either defeated or forced to return to their home worlds to meet Sora.

It was different to how he remembered it. The Rising Falls were no longer there, revealing the remains of a town behind them that was bustling with activity. Inconveniently, he could feel the world's light around him and knew he only had a limited time here before he could no longer hide from it and had to withdraw again.

He recognised few of the inhabitants as he wandered aimlessly through the town, most of whom seemed unconcerned about his presence – the Organization was evidently not well known here. He could at least move about with relative freedom here for now.

As he passed a large house, a familiar voice echoed out of the doorway. "Riku! Riku, in here!"

"Yuffie?" he asked himself in a half whisper. "Yuffie, is that you in there?" he called back suspiciously.

"No, it's Leon pretending. Honestly, who did you think it was?"

"Sorry," he laughed, heading inside the house where she, Leon and Aerith were all gathered along with a tall, elderly man in blue robes who had a long white beard. "It's just been a while. How did you all get here?"

"I brought them!" The elderly man announced. "Ah, but of course you don't know me. I am the great wizard Merlin. I've heard all about you, of course."

"We were just talking about you actually," Yuffie confessed. "What have you been up to? And what's with the coat?"

"It wasn't entirely my idea," Riku said defensively. "I have to wear it while out and about at the moment for my own protection, otherwise I can't go about in any world."

"I saw someone else wearing it just yesterday," Leon said. "Big guy, hair like yours." He paused then added, "Wasn't your hair-"

"Yeah, don't ask me. I don't know why it changed either. Anyway the guy you saw was Lexaeus. I have to work with him – and his Organization – at the moment. It's a long story."

"Sometime you'll have to tell us about it," Aerith told him. "What brings you here?"

"Curiosity. I heard last night that someone was here and decided to have a look. I wasn't expecting to see you." Then he remembered something and added,

"You can get in touch with the King, right?"

"If we can't, Merlin will know someone who can, why?"

"I need to get word to him, but I can't let it be known I'm in contact with him. The Organization doesn't know I'm here – at least I hope not – so I'm safe for the moment. You might want to conveniently forget I dropped by though, just to be safe."

"You dropped by?" Yuffie smiled. "When was that? I have the most dreadful memory lately. What do you need to tell the King?"

"Tell him that Sora is likely inside Castle Oblivion by now, and that the Organization is planning to use the talents of a young girl named Naminé to alter his memories. I don't know how she does it, I just know they're going to try to change his memories to make him serve their purpose."

"Didn't you say you're working _with_ the Organization?" Leon asked shrewdly.

"I'm the King's inside man," Riku replied with aplomb. "They don't know that yet. There's more though. You also need to make sure he knows that Sora isn't the real thing – he's a Replica made by Vexen, another of the Organization. I don't know where the real Sora is or what's happened to him."

"Anything else?" Leon asked.

"Just one thing. I think he knows about Nobodies – they're like the Heartless, but they're have a mind, or at least part of one – but that means they're not meant to have heart or feelings.. and I know a Nobody that has feelings he's having trouble controlling. I think it might be a good idea to see if we can find a way to help him. If we can subvert Roxas away from them, they'll have to rely on me – once they get me a Keyblade, since Sora has mine."

"And since you're working against them, that means you'll have a hold over them," Leon finished. "Just what is the Organization after?"

"They're trying to create something that will give them hearts of their own, and it requires the hearts liberated by the Heartless when they're beaten by a Keyblade."

"What do you get out of it?"

"I get to ask it to remove the darkness in me so I don't need this coat," he replied, plucking at the front of it. "I needed it before, but now I need to get rid of it."

"I don't know," Yuffie grinned. "First that trouble with the Sora and your Keyblade, now the darkness and the Organization. You just can't seem to stay out of trouble, can you?"

"I'm a magnet for it," he grinned back. "I've probably stayed as long as I dare. Make sure you get all that to the King for me. He should be able to put it to better use than I can while holed up in the Organization's castle."

"Stop by when you get the chance, Riku," Aerith said. "You're always welcome here."

"Unless you're on the Organization's business, that is," Leon added as he left.


	24. Ill Omens

Saïx had not returned when Riku emerged from the corridor, leaving him to await either his return or that of those not sent to Castle Oblivion, and in the meantime continue to try and wring some sense from the documents Vexen had left him with.

The more he began to understand them, the less he realised he actually knew. It seemed in his haste, Vexen had not been selective about his notes on the Replica Program and had merely filed them together in one place. He had clearly not intended for anyone else to read it, leaving the pages sometimes littered with obscure notes, passing ideas and references to parts he had apparently planned but never implemented.

This disarray however meant that the notes went into some detail on the other two Replicas – neither of which had an identity, but similarly neither had they been activated, or as Vexen had put it 'awakened'.

What caught his interest more than this though was the detailed notes he'd kept on the awakening of the first Replica, named in his notes only as 'No. I'. If his notes were to be believed, then a Replica was very much like a newborn child with no prior knowledge or preconceptions, and had to be carefully guided and nurtured, just like a child.

Vexen also noted that he'd had to take extreme care during this time as that Replica had no identity and he did not want it to become a Replica of him. It was here he found a possible explanation for the instability Vexen had mentioned, and perhaps – if it was the Sora Replica – why its attitude had been different.

No matter how much he had tried, he had been incapable of preventing at least a part of him from being imprinted into the Replica, and that imprint would affect the resulting identity when it obtained one. As Vexen had intended it to copy Roxas, he had attempted to mimic some of the Nobody's attitude, though without the hostile front he'd presented to the other members at the time.

Vexen noted that this caused it to pass what he described as a miracle – the growth of a heart. Where Nobodies experienced no emotions they were ill equipped to deal with those who did possess them, and so the Replica's heart and true emotions were not given the guidance they should have done had it been raised by someone with a heart. It quickly descended into irrational and unpredictable changes of mood, sometimes becoming even worse than Roxas himself at times.

That would account for the differences to Sora, he reasoned. Where the Replica had a heart of its own in place of the true Sora's heart, it still held on to those emotions. Maybe gaining an identity had influenced them, given him some measure of control over them, but like Roxas it would have been tenuous at best.

So what then accounted for the sudden change of attitude after he'd defeated him? The only explanation he had continued to be that Sora's heart had left him an entered the Replica, possibly the experience he'd had during that very battle. If that was so, did that make him truly Riku now? And was that why the physical changes had happened to him?

Riku thought for a moment, then with an inspiration thought back through his memories. Right up until the moment he awakened in Hollow Bastion after the storm all his memories were intact, telling him that he was still truly Sora, but had taken Riku's name as his own.

Since then, if he thought back before that time he had seen events from both sides, having both Sora's and Riku's memories, but now when he thought back only one set of memories came to him: Riku's. That confirmed it for him. Even if he was the real Sora, Sora's heart no longer resided with him.

His line of thought was disrupted as a corridor opened ahead. It remained open for a time, then it closed again without anything emerging. Riku frowned, pondering this curiosity. A corridor only opened when called, and the exits appeared only when the user was about to exit. What would make an exit portal appear without that?

The corridor opened a second time, spluttering at first as if something were disrupting it, then it finally opened fully. Again it remained open for a time, then closed, unused. What was going on here?

A third time it opened, and this time Riku reached out to it and sent his own darkness into it to help it stabilise, then he reached across the threshold, blindly groping inside the corridor while he forced the portal to remain open with his own darkness. He felt something trying to rise within him, something cold and uncomfortably familiar, but he ignored it, trying to find whoever was trying to use this corridor.

Finally he felt something grab the arm on the other side. He took hold where he guessed the arm of the other person would be, finding another arm, then pulled hard to get them through. His arm emerged, another holding tightly on to it, then he pulled Saïx stumbling from the portal just as he lost contact with it, getting him clear of the closing portal only just in time.

Saïx did not appear to be well. His coat was left open, revealing one arm in a crude sling, what could be seen of the arm having clearly been burnt in several places. One of his eyes looked as if it had swollen shut, but perhaps the clearest sign was that for the first time Riku could remember, the normally calm, impassive expression had been replaced with one he could only describe as near inarticulate rage.

Riku didn't even stop to consider what Saïx wanted, immediately leading the way out of the Grey Area, then pausing as he realised he'd apparently also injured one leg as well. Riku looked at the limping Nobody for a few moments, then with a sigh he wordlessly supported him on that side and guided him out.

"I'm amazed at you, Riku," Saïx said eventually, half way down the corridor to the bedrooms. "I had thought you of all people would want to know what happened."

"I do," he admitted. "But you're overlooking something that I thought you never would."

"Oh?"

"Priorities. The first priority here is to get you to your room so you can recover. I'm no medic, so I can't exactly do anything more to help you – at least not yet. At the very least though I'll be able to ask about and find out who does have that experience, if not read up on it myself. You also can't make an appearance before the other members looking like that, but at least with me around you'll be able to continue to work. You need your mind more than your body to do most of your work, and the actual legwork and such I can handle for you while you're on the mend."

They continued down the corridor in silence for a time before Saïx finally answered, "I hope you put the same care and attention into the work I left you."

"Trust you to think of that," Riku chuckled. "Everything is fine, Saïx. Demyx had a little trouble on his mission yesterday, so I made him do it today along with the mission you already had scheduled for him. Those assigned to Castle Oblivion are there," he went on, then chose not to reveal the additional discussions he'd had with Zexion or Vexen, skipping ahead. "Xigbar went with Xemnas, as you know, but all he said was that they're having some trouble. Lexaeus reported the residents of Hollow Bastion are back and trying to rebuild the damage done while Maleficent occupied the place. He suggested sending someone to investigate the local Heartless though, as they appear to be under someone else's control. Luxord found a pocket watch while at the Beast's Castle – I'll show you that later – and Xaldin believes Roxas is becoming a loose cannon."

"A succinct report," he noted, guiding them to the door to his room. "But you neglected to mention Axel." Riku opened the door and helped him to the bed before he answered.

"I was just getting to that. Axel watched Sora and he's certain that he's a Replica. I talked with Vexen before he left to find out what he had to say about it, but since we were short on time about all he said was that it was conceivable his first Replica might have escaped his control to become the Sora Replica."

"And this does not bother you at all?"

"Why should it?" he shrugged. "It explains why I've seen Sora and Roxas alive and well. It's possible that Roxas is like all other Nobodies – he's what's left of the real Sora, and this Replica is, well, a Replica."

"But why would Vexen create a Replica of him?"

"I don't think it was intentional. From what I gather the first Replica was meant to be a copy of Roxas, but it had no identity given to it. Somehow, it picked up inputs that made it into Sora."

"Curious. Any other observations you've made I should be aware of?"

"Just one. You're aware of what Zexion thinks about Roxas?"

"You mean his theory that he is the Nobody of Ventus and not of Sora?"

Riku nodded, "I know it contradicts what I just said, but he might have something. I don't know who this Ventus is though. I haven't had the chance to look, and even if I did I wouldn't know where to start."

Saïx looked thoughtfully toward the ceiling for a time before he answered, "Since you've decided to confine me to my room, I will see what I can find out for you from here. I knew Ventus myself... though I only met him once that I recall, but that gives me more to work with than you have."

"Right. Now that's out the way, what the hell happened to you?"

"I underestimated the people of the world I went to. They were more alert than I expected them to be and found me suspicious immediately. When I attempted to leave, two of them attacked to prevent me. One of them was quite skilled in the use of fire, on a scale I have never seen before – even in Axel. If they could be turned into Nobodies, their hearts and Heartless would serve us well."

"By the sounds of it, it'd be too much trouble to be worth the effort. Maybe better to leave them?"

"We have no choice right now. The only way we could handle them would be if you and Roxas could be persuaded to cooperate, and I do not have high hopes of that."

"Don't be too pessimistic about that. After he learned Axel had gone to Castle Oblivion this morning, Roxas suddenly became far less unsociable. It could just be temporary, though I'm hoping it isn't."

"Perhaps. Now tell me something else Riku," Saïx said, fixing him with his unharmed eye, then pointing at one shoulder. "When did that happen?"

Riku glanced down, not quite understanding what Saïx meant, then saw a strand of hair – not the silver it had been since the storm, nor the brown it had changed to recently, but a clear white that reached just past his shoulders, not a part of the original style he'd had.

Bemused, he made his way around Saïx's bed to examine his reflection in the mirror, then drew in a sharp breath.

"Ansem," he breathed. "This is... Last time I saw this it was on Ansem... at Hollow Bastion. But why do I have it now?"

"The one who called himself Ansem, Seeker of Darkness?" Saïx asked.

"That's him. I..." he hesitated, considering his answer carefully. "I hosted him for a time while I was still working for Maleficent but I kept it to myself. When I locked the Keyhole of Hollow Bastion though, he showed himself separate from me to try to stop me."

"And you defeated him, evidently."

"Destroyed him," he agreed. "Or so I thought. Now this..."

"I cannot be certain of this... but I believe as you hosted him, there is some remnant of him left within you – an imprint, left with the darkness you possessed that gave him access to you. When you reinforced my corridor to retrieve me from it, you no doubt expended a great deal of darkness, and perhaps unconsciously touched on the darkness from that imprint."

"So now I'm turning into him?" Riku asked half-heartedly, not wanting to believe it. "Can't I stop it?"

"Look again," Saïx pointed to the window. His reflection looked the same at first glance until he looked closer, noticing his hair was starting to return to its previous colour and style again. "It appears it only happens when you command a considerable darkness, as you did then."

Riku didn't answer, hardly daring to believe what Saïx was suggesting. Ansem was destroyed, yet in some measure lived on in him, coming back to haunt him every time he used too much darkness? What if he used even more than he had this time? Would he take on even more aspects of Ansem's appearance, even becoming him? And perhaps more disturbingly... would such a change be as temporary as this one had been... or permanent?


	25. Night Vision

By the time he'd returned to the Grey Area, Riku's appearance had returned to normal again. Or at least, he corrected himself, what passed for normal at the moment. Normal, if it had ever applied to him, seemed to change for him every time he turned around.

He was concerned for a time about what the other members would think about him appearing to supplant Saïx for longer than intended, but recalled that he'd not specifically told any of them when Saïx would be back – only that he was busy. All they had to know was that Saïx was still trusting him to handle things, and there'd be no concern.

Which meant, of course, he still had free reign to surreptitiously sabotage the Organization. If he could find a way. He had to count on the King to find a way to lure Roxas away, and he had yet to find time to learn how exactly they harvested the hearts, let alone a way to interrupt that flow without something happening to Roxas. Without the loss of other members, what could he do?

The sound of a corridor opening answered that. With everything he'd been doing today, it was hardly surprising that they would be arriving by this time.

Xigbar and Roxas exited the corridor, apparently in discussion over something as they emerged.

"...just strikes me as a bit odd, you know?" Roxas said.

"Well there's the guy you want to mention it to," Xigbar replied, nodding to Riku. "With Saïx busy, he's gotta handle everything. If he doesn't know himself, no doubt he'll find out."

"Just what I need, more work to do," Riku shook his head. "As if minding the stores wasn't bad enough as it is. How did it go?"

"I dealt with the Heartless," Roxas reported. "All of the Fire Plants and even the Pureblood one you mentioned. I'd hardly call a giant Shadow 'powerful' though."

"This coming from the guy who got thrown around like a ragdoll," Xigbar said.

"Since when have I let that bother me? Anyway, got something to run past you at his suggestion just now. Whoever comes with me on my missions seems to be able to liberate hearts just like me. I thought it was just the Keyblade that did that."

"Interesting," Riku observed. "I'll look into it. I might have to co-opt your missions once in a while, if you can be persuaded not to attack me, but that's the price of solving this little mystery."

"Whatever works. When's Axel coming back?"

"Whenever the operation at Castle Oblivion is complete," Riku answered the surprise question as if he'd been expecting it. "As soon as we know anything worth passing on you'll all know."

Roxas's typical irritability flickered briefly over his face, then he merely shrugged and left. Xigbar however came over to join Riku.

"How much did Saïx tell you about Roxas?" he asked, perching on the corner of the desk.

"Not much. Just that he had no heart, but emotions he couldn't control. Why do you ask?"

"Since you showed up he's started to settle, and now Axel's out of the picture he's become almost docile."

"What are you suggesting? Axel and I are having an effect on him?"

"Does seem that way, doesn't it? Anyway, can't sit around gossipping all day, can I? Xemnas has something for you, by the way. Swing by the top of the castle when you're free."

Riku almost asked what, but at that point several other corridors opened, depositing all the other members in one go.

* * *

><p>"So all in all, nothing much to report," Riku concluded after filling in Saïx. "Halloween Town is so independent about all we can do is put Heartless there, and the Beast's Castle is still empty, the previous inhabitants status unknown."<p>

"I think we can safely rule Seifer out as a threat," Saïx mused. "He may suspect, but he has no idea what is truly going on. Pete's independence is troubling though."

"What importance is he, anyway? Demyx's report suggested he's just a blundering fool."

"Indeed he is, but he also worked for Maleficent. I am quite surprised you had not met him before, as he frequently was her errand-boy. What of Castle Oblivion – any word as yet?"

"Nothing. There's a question you can answer for me though. In the notes you gave me, you mentioned an agreement that Axel would eliminate Zexion. What for?"

The effect of Saïx's usual blank stare was somewhat offset by the many bruises that had broken out, and periodic wincing every time he shifted his injured arm.

"I get it," Riku said after a time. "It's between you and him. But if I'm going to handle things for you, I need to have something to tell people in case it gets out somehow."

"Would you be satisfied knowing that it would prevent Roxas from overruling certain members with Zexion's authority?" Saïx suggested.

"You and I can overrule that though. Zexion could still be useful to us. Besides, he's the only one who knows where to find anything in the library."

"Regardless, the agreement has been made and cannot be unmade. Is there anything else?"

"I don't think so. Not unless you want to tell me what their missions are tomorrow."

"Later," he replied, then turned back to the paper he'd laid out. Even with his infirmities, he still fully intended to work as much as he could.

Riku left him to it, troubled by Saïx's casual attitude to what awaited Zexion. Perhaps if he intervened... the possibility remained, but like everything else he was truly here for, it lacked a means of making it happen.

For now there was nothing he could do about it, so he opened a corridor up to the Altar of Naught to see what Xemnas wanted to give him, if Xigbar was right. He could have walked it, but it was late and he felt lazy for it.

Almost before he exited the corridor, Xemnas was aware of his presence.

"How is Saïx?" he asked in his quiet voice.

"His usual self," Riku replied. "He's a workaholic, even if I have told him to stay in bed. Ideally he needs to see someone about his injuries, but that means either bringing a doctor here, or taking him out of the castle to see one."

"Perhaps you should visit the moogle store in Twilight Town and see if they can find something for you," he suggested. "They usually can – for a fee."

"Speaking of finding things, Xigbar said you had something."

Xemnas nodded, holding up one arm as if to take something from the air. When he took hold a black line formed, flickering outward into a kind of slow, dark flash, then eventually cleared. In his hand he held what was undeniably a Keyblade, almost completely black but for a few silver adornments along the blade and the key. The blade part split into two, merging again at the top with a gem that looked like a small blue eye. The 'key' emerged from there in three curved spikes that resembled an axe. Below the blade were the wing-like guards around the handle, connecting the two by a lion's head on either side, and hanging from the end was the keychain, another blue-eye gem set into a twisting pattern of silver lines.

"A keyblade?" Riku exclaimed, startled. "You can – but how?"

"That is of no moment. I told you I would obtain a Keyblade for you and thus I have done so. Take it, Riku. As I seldom leave this castle, it can better serve us in your hands than mine."

Riku reached toward it, but as he extended his hand the cold feeling came again, stronger this time.

"Something's not right," Riku murmured. "It can't be Ansem again."

"Ansem?" Xemnas inquired. There had been no change in his expression, save only a raised eyebrow.

"I hosted him for a time before I came to work for you. He was destroyed, but a bit of him got left with me, and now if I use too much darkness it surfaces and I start to look like him."

"And reaching for this Keyblade caused it to react? Curious. Take the Keyblade Riku. I am interested in seeing this for myself."

He had a few doubts about the wisdom of this action himself, but put them aside to take the black Keyblade from Xemnas' hands, ignoring the cold feeling welling up. It peaked when Xemnas let go, leaving him feeling frozen all over, then his view blurred momentarily. Where before he had needed to look slightly up at Xemnas, now he was on the same level as him.

"Very interesting," Xemnas noted calmly. "Are you aware of just what has happened?"

"No, I-" Riku started. "My voice. I sound..."

"Like Ansem," Xemnas completed. "It appears a dark Keyblade acts upon you the same way excessive darkness does. Dismiss the Keyblade, Riku," he ordered.

He did so. Nothing changed.

"I can't go about like this, Xemnas. The other members will notice."

"Then take this also, and draw about you the knowledge of who you truly are," Xemnas answered, holding out a strip of cloth – no, a blindfold.

Riku hesitated. Sora's heart was not with him, but the knowledge that in truth he was Sora gave him doubts again. What would happen if he appeared to be Sora instead of Riku, as they expected?

These doubts he could not voice aloud though, so hoping it was enough he put firm belief in his current identity and tied the blindfold in place over his eyes. Something changed, but without sight he had no idea.

"I hate to seem critical, but this is hardly an improvement."

"Use your darkness to build up a mental image of what surrounds you," Xemnas advised. "You will find it gives you a more detailed view than you are used to, but it will give you sight again."

It took him a while to figure out how exactly, but eventually he achieved it, bringing not just normal vision back, but a view of right the way around him, and even things he hadn't been able to see before – in the sky above there was a shimmering pink outline of a heart, with a thin stream of hearts emerging from a dark corridor he hadn't seen before.

His head felt as if it was spinning when without thinking he wondered what he looked like and the view shifted to a third-person perspective, looking at himself as if he was someone else. His appearance had been restored, thankfully to the one they were used to seeing and not Sora instead. Now he only had to explain the blindfold, at least.

"You do realize that even if I explain this, I'm not going to be able to do much until Saïx recovers," Riku suggested, bringing the view back as close to normal as it could be.

"Leave that with me. For now, continue to act in his stead. However, advise him that I suggest pairing you with Roxas even before he resumes his duties. With you at his side, Roxas's missions will be handled swiftly, leaving you ample time to return and receive the reports from other members."

Riku nodded, turning to leave, then a thought occurred to him. What if he became Ansem even with the blindfold when he called out the Keyblade Xemnas had given him? A quick check proved his concern groundless, however.


	26. The Return of Sora

**A/N:** For those wondering, the Keyblade Xemnas gave Riku was the unnamed Keyblade Master Xehanort is seen wielding - on the few occasions he's actually seen holding it. Just thought I'd clear that up for you.

* * *

><p>It was night. He could not tell how he knew, but it was undoubtedly night. He lay taking in the grey patterned ceiling above him then threw the cover to one side and got up, casting about the room.<p>

Everything was clearer now. There was nothing clouding his mind this time. No overruling fog, blotting out all but the immediate goal.

On one wall, a mirror. Yes. That was what he needed right now. He had to know. He could see, but there was something wrong with his vision. The mirror could tell him what.

He almost tripped on a dark shoe, kicking it and a nearby coat aside with a muttered word, then paused to wonder why. Some reflex perhaps?

His mind returned back to what he needed to know, looking into the reflection in the mirror. No colour still. Only black white and grey. But he didn't need to see colour to identify it when he saw it.

The reflection was familiar. The dark hair was his, but the features were not. He saw immediately why his vision had seemed odd though. Someone had tied a blindfold over his eyes. It was torn away, left to drop to the floor, and the person in the mirror blurred and changed.

First it became taller, with lighter hair and deep orange eyes. This wasn't what he was after. He concentrated for a time, then the person blurred again. Silver-blue hair and light blue eyes. The eyes turned flat and harsh at the sight of this.

"Not him," he growled in a low tone. "The other one."

It blurred again, this time restoring the original hair and the blue eyes he had been looking for. The face that replaced the original looked gentle for a moment until a grimly satisfied smile crossed it.

"Better," he murmured, then looked down at the minimal clothing. He concentrated once more and it too blurred and changed around him. The red jumpsuit and black jacket appeared, followed by the yellow shoes, then the various other adornments as Sora emerged again.

"Now what?" he wondered idly. Without the restrictions on his mind he could see everything Riku had and knew everything Riku did. Who needed Maleficent, when using Riku as an unknowing pawn was much more rewarding?

Sora thrust out one hand to form a dark corridor, safe in the knowledge that because his heart was somewhere else and Riku's was sleeping, it would have no affect on him in the slightest. No one would even be aware either of them had utlilized it.

As he travelled the corridor he glanced through Riku's memories of what he'd missed, right from the start. Even Riku wasn't aware of his presence within him. All the better to take advantage of him with. But who to side with? Riku and the King, the Organization, or perhaps he could work on his own.

The corridor exited, depositing him in front of the vast Castle Oblivion with its many turrets and protrusions, lit up only by the golden light from this or that window. The front door lay ahead of him easily opened at his touch and as he opened it he caught scents in the air. The Organization members Riku had sent here, an active Replica, and...

"Ah," he breathed, a smirk crossing his face. "Welcome, your Majesty."

But the King was alone, at least right now. There were two of the Organization in the basement floors, but not near to him. Perhaps he'd come back to pay a call on them another time.

Instead he turned his attention further up the castle, seeking out the Replica. There were two with him – the same two who had been with Riku in Traverse Town, if their scent was anything to go by – and the scent of one of the Organization, all in the same room.

He found this curious, so with an absent flick of his wrist another corridor formed up around him to take him not to that room but a room just nearby through which he could observe. It took him to a room he recognised through Riku's memories as being a part of Captain Hook's ship.

Sora was not so much interested in the room as he was the exchange taking place on the other side of the white doors, which he cautiously peered around, then suppressed a surprised gasp.

He was already in the room. The two lackeys that went around with Riku – Donald and Goofy, he remembered now – were on either side of him, and Axel was barring their path to the door ahead. Yet the scent of the Replica... was coming from this other him. And more, something within the Replica seemed to resonate imperceptibly with him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," the Replica Sora was saying to Axel. "I'm as real as anyone else is."

"No, you only think you are," Axel replied. "I know the signs, Sora. I've seen them enough times."

"Just give it a rest will you?" the Replica flared suddenly. "I am me – no one else! I'm not some cheap copy!"

"Prove it then!" Axel demanded, holding out his hands to ring them with fire that in turn became his twinned chakrams. "If you can beat me, I'll accept you're real!"

The trio facing him took out their weapons, Donald a staff and Goofy a shield, while the Replica pulled out a Keyblade – the Keyblade Ansem had given Riku. Just as Alice had been back in Wonderland, this Keyblade he could see in full colour where everything else was merely monochromatic, the idea of what colour it truly was just arriving in his mind.

Sora resisted the urge to get involved in the fight that ensued. This Replica of him didn't fight too badly, he grudgingly admitted, watching as he flicked red cards out of his pockets before each attack. Donald and Goofy stayed out of their fight, called only in when the Replica tossed a green card up, but some green cards acted differently. From his distant view, Sora wasn't able to tell why.

Axel meanwhile slung fire back when he wasn't swinging the chakrams in wide arcs, keeping the Replica at bay where possible and where he couldn't he struck back. The Replica may have been going all-out against him, but Axel was clearly holding back – but why? If he wanted to prove the Replica wasn't real, why hold back?

Finally Axel drew back, breathing hard.

"What's wrong?" the Replica demanded. "Had enough already? The real thing too much for you?"

"Who said I was trying to beat you?" Axel chuckled weakly. "I found out what I wanted to know. I wonder if you know though?"

"Know? Know what? That I'm real? Of course I do?"

"You don't know the half of it kid," Axel sighed, dismissing his weapons. He took a blue card out of his pocket, glanced at it, then tossed it to the Replica. "Keep moving, Sora. I'll be seeing you later." Then he vanished into a corridor of his own.

"What was he on about?" the Replica wondered, baffled.

"Forget that, I want to know what he meant by a Replica!" Donald said. "He made it sound like there's two of you!"

Sora took that to be his cue, stepping through the doors and into the white room beyond.

"Uh... guys?" Goofy said, pointing toward him. "Maybe it's cause there is!"

"Come on, there's only one Sora and thats..." he broke off as he looked back to see him. Then finally the Replica also turned to see him.

"Huh? There really are two of me... maybe I really am just a copy - what am I saying, I'm Sora! You must be the fake!"

"Bet?" Sora grinned mirthlessly at the Replica. It set itself ready for a fight as he approached. "Don't bother. That's not why I'm here."

"Why then?"

"Curiosity," he replied, stopping before him to fix him with a stare. There was definitely something within this Replica that was resonating with him. He could feel it pulling toward him. "Take care of it for me," he told the Replica eventually, turning away.

"Take care of what? Come on, don't you disappear on me too!" the Replica demanded as the corridor formed. Sora took it anyway, heading again further up the castle, following Axel's scent. Another room. Another Nobody with him. It smelled like... Vexen.

The two had been looking at the corridor he exited from with faint curiosity, but both were surprised when Sora emerged from it.

"How did you-" Axel started then frowned. "No. There's something different about you. You're not the one I just saw."

"What do you mean by that?" Vexen demanded. "There's only one Sora, and that's the one you believe is my Replica!"

"That's because it is," Sora told him. "I'm the original. And you... you're the one who manipulated Maleficent, aren't you?"

"What _are_ you on about boy?"

"If it hadn't been for you, she would never have gathered so many Heartless. If it hadn't been for you, Riku would never have turned to the darkness and furthered her goals. And if it hadn't been for you... Axel wouldn't have picked on that Replica of me I just saw."

Vexen stared at him for a moment.

"Very well. Since you know so much... yes, I admit I turned Riku to the darkness. Maleficent however took action on her own. I merely... nudged things along a little."

"Doesn't matter," Sora grated harshly. "You're responsible. That's good enough for me."

"Good enough for you to do what?" Axel asked calmly. "What can you do?"

Sora ignored him, advancing on Vexen. When he pulled Soul Eater into his hand Vexen created a shield of ice, but a swift strike sliced clean through it before it had even finished forming. It was followed by a series of swift blows, cutting away more of the shield to leave the hapless Nobody completely undefended until at last he ran him through.

"Riku would thank me for this," Sora told him. "If he knew what I did, that is."

Vexen had already started to fade back into the darkness as Sora made Soul Eater vanish, so satisfied with what he'd done he turned to Axel.

"As for you... you know too much. But I have to leave someone to let word get back to Riku, don't I? Tell him..." Sora paused to think. "Tell him I said not to worry about his predicament, because I'll handle it. He'll understand. Or at least, he'd better if he knows what's good for him."

"So that's it?" Axel asked as Sora turned away. "I'm just supposed to accept that?"

"What more do you want? You know who and what I am. What else is there?"

"Why destroy Vexen? What purpose did it really serve?"

"I suppose... I just felt like it," Sora answered, then headed into the corridor. He'd replace the blindfold and make Riku's room like exactly as it had when he'd emerged, then settle in. No doubt he'd get wind of what had just happened sooner or later.


	27. Messages

Riku rose as early as always, but only grudgingly. He felt as if he'd been up all night and barely gotten any sleep at all. The last time he felt like this was back in Traverse Town, the morning after Leon had been attacked by Sora-

That thought caught him. Had Sora been here, or was it just a coincidence? There had to be some explanation he reasoned, but not one he was willing to persue this early. With it on his mind he went through his morning routine, distracted to the point that he almost went directly to the Grey Area instead of to Saïx to fetch the days missions.

Saïx, naturally, looked as wide awake as his infirmities allowed him to, already at work sorting through various folders and sheets of paper, filing some away, moving some to other folders, editing others – it made little sense to him.

"How are you feeling?" Riku asked him as he entered.

"Better," Saïx answered shortly, handing him a clipboard without pausing or looking up. "I don't feel as bad, at least. It'll be some time before I'm back on my feet. What have you told the other members about my condition?"

"I haven't. Not yet anyway," he replied, glancing through the missions, then at the intel on the other side, stopping when he saw a last note not associated with any mission. "Is this true? Someone was terminated at Castle Oblivion last night?"  
>Saïx nodded, "A Dusk brought the word late last night. There was no word on which member we lost, but there was a message for you. Axel says it was given to him by Sora."<p>

"Sora? What was the message?"

"Repeated verbatim; 'Tell him I said not to worry about his predicament because I'll handle it for him.' He also apparently said you would understand if you knew what was good for you."

"My predicament? Does he mean Ansem resurfacing? But how would he have gotten wind of that, he's been in Castle Oblivion all this time?"

"There is no way to tell until the operation at Castle Oblivion is completed. When Axel returns, you may want to ask him about it. Now go get everyone moving. We will speak more when you return." Saïx's tone clearly indicated the conversation was over.

Riku thought it over as he headed to the Grey Area. What if it wasn't Ansem he'd meant – what if it was the problem of talking to the King? But then, how did Sora know about that in the first place? They'd been out of touch ever since the Door to Darkness. He had a nagging feeling he was missing something, but without hearing more from Axel he couldn't see what it might be.

The Grey Area was fully populated when he arrived, with all five working members gathered around in a loose circle, apparently in a heated discussion. Riku paused just out of sight to listen in.

"Then what in blazes _did_ happen?" Xaldin demanded of Demyx, who recoiled back slightly.

"Don't look at me man, I only found out minutes ago!" He pointed to Xigbar, "He's the one you really wanna be asking."

"What happened?" Roxas asked, apparently not up to speed. "Is everything alright?"

"As if," Xigbar replied. "Word in the castle this morning is that at least one of the members up at Castle Oblivion has been terminated."

"Terminated – you mean..."

"That's right," Luxord confirmed. "Whoever it was, their luck ran out on them."

"You don't know yet?"

"I only overheard it in passing," Xigbar said. "If anyone has the details, it'll be Riku."

"That's my cue," Riku murmured to himself with a faint smile, then put a calm front about him just as Saïx did, pretended he had no idea what they had been discussing and headed in for his accustomed place.

"Talk of the devil," Luxord nodded toward him. "Though I don't fancy our chances of getting anything out of him. Talkative as Saïx was."

Past tense already, Riku noted. They didn't even know what had happened to him either.

Roxas was on his case in moments, putting himself between him and the desk.

"You know what happened, don't you?"

"Yes," Riku nodded, stepping around him without missing a beat. Roxas followed suit to bar his path a second time.

"Who was it? Who got terminated?"

"We don't have all the details as yet. Prepare yourself for your mission, Roxas. You are on heart collection duty again today."

"On my own?" he asked hopefully.

"Not just yet. I will be accompanying you once everyone else has departed."

Roxas looked torn, as if he couldn't decide if that was a good or a bad thing.

Riku meanwhile idly wondered why there hadn't been even so much as a raised eyebrow over the blindfold he now wore. Perhaps Xemnas had filled them in without telling him? It seemed like the sort of thing he'd do.

From his vantage at the Grey Area he found the new sight he had through the darkness gave him a commanding view of Dark City below, where Heartless wandered the streets as faint blue outlines, Nobodies in green lines, and over the entire city a faint pink haze, the first light of the outline of the Kingdom Hearts they were forming which still hung in the sky.

The hearts that had been flowing to it that night before were no longer present, but soon would be he reasoned. Maybe if they finished Roxas's mission early he could investigate the source of that stream and indulge in his first bit of sabotage. If he could find an excuse to get away from Roxas after getting back.

Saïx's notes on their missions had been penned in, but with more detail than before he noticed. In particular they seemed more like suggestions, and two of the missions had not actually been assigned to any member. There were therefore only two members who did not have a mission – perhaps Saïx was testing him again.

"Demyx, to Olympus Coliseum," he read out. "You're on intel duty – find out as much as you can about the world. Xaldin will be going with you to handle any Heartless. Xigbar, you're on a mission that'll probably take you several days – find out what happened to the inhabitants of the Beast's Castle after I sent it into the darkness."

"You did that?" Xigbar asked with a low whistle. "Sounds like Vexen was keeping secrets from us. Why did you do it?"

"It seemed like a good idea at the time," Riku answered, then continued without giving him a chance to ask any more questions. "Luxord, you're also on a several-day mission. Find out why Traverse Town disappeared, if it can be brought back and if it can, how to do so."

Riku privately hoped he'd put Xigbar and Luxord on the right missions, and what the difference might have been had he assigned them the other way around. As he made a few notes on the clipboard he looked up and saw no one had moved.

"Well don't just stand there people, move!" he barked. "You've got work to do, and not even the loss of another member is going to change that!"

The sound of dark corridors opening seemed almost deafening, leaving him alone with the patiently waiting Roxas.

He filed the clipboard away, then to be safe he picked out Vexen's Replica notes and tucked them in a pocket of the coat, realising he probably should have done so long before, in case any other member had gotten curious in the night.

"Where are we heading to?" Roxas asked as he stood up again.

"Hollow Bastion," he answered, recalling Saïx's notes. "There was a contingent of Dusks on a low-key scouting mission, but they've failed to report back. The last word we had suggested there were many Emblem Heartless in the area. We're to eliminate them and claim the released hearts while we're at it."

As he said it he knew there might be trouble. If the Heartless were in town he could run into Leon or Yuffie while fighting them, and this time they wouldn't be able to act friendly. He hoped he wasn't going to have to come up against either in a fight – even if he could probably beat Leon a second time.

Since there were no details of where the Heartless had been found and to minimise the chances of discovery, Riku directed their corridor once again to the canyon that had once been the Rising Falls.

He considered how best to keep Roxas from finding out about the investigation he was planning along the way without hurting Roxas's feelings – he didn't need to upset the odd calm that had come over him since Castle Oblivion had become operational.

Then part way through the corridor an idea came to him – one that would help him as well.

"Roxas," he said. "When we finish this mission, would you do me a favour?"

"Me?" he sounded startled. "What can I do that you can't?"

"Go about in the worlds more closely associated with the light than I can. I want you to keep this to yourself mind – a secret between the two of us."

"Not even Zex-" he paused then quickly covered, "I mean Axel."

"Not even them," Riku confirmed, pretending not to notice the correction. "There's a friend of mine in one world that I can't go to, and I need to let her know I'm alright."

"Oh? You've got a girlfriend?" Roxas suddenly grinned. "What am I carrying, a love letter?"

"You stop that right now, Roxas!" Riku told him, his face burning. Roxas just laughed.

"Alright, serious now," he said eventually. "What do I tell her, whoever she is?"

"Her name is Kairi," Riku explained. "Just tell her I wanted her to know I'm alright, and if she has a message back she's welcome to write. You'll probably find her somewhere on Destiny Islands."

"What? No 'I love you' too?" Roxas teased.

"She's not my girlfriend!"

"I wonder if she agrees with you on that score?"

Riku gave up.


	28. Going with the Flow

They emerged from the corridor in the same distant part of Hollow Bastion Riku had first arrived at, the ruined, uninhabited part of town spread around them. The reconstruction efforts had advanced a fair ways already, but not far enough to trouble them.

"I thought you said there were Heartless here?" Roxas asked with a faint edge of resentment.

"There are, they're just not here. Look over toward the tower, and in the canyon leading up and around it."

"You want me to fight through all that?" he said in disbelief. "They go on _forever!_"

"Don't be silly. I'm going to bring some of them here for us to fill your quota." Riku reached out through the darkness, lifted his head slightly as he found some and in a quiet voice commanded, "Come."

"Didn't know you could command Heartless," Roxas remarked, bringing out his unusual Keyblade again.

"There's a lot of things you don't know about me," Riku replied, drawing out Soul Eater. He felt no particular reason to pull out Xemnas' Keyblade, and it would give him an idea of just how much of a benefit Roxas would have on him. "The first of them should be arriving soon. Be on guard."

The first ranks of them were heard more than seen, and were a collection of Soldiers and their larger cousins, though no Deserter Heartless were among them. Roxas fell on them almost immediately, with Riku clearing up any that tried to outflank him. He remained in a position he could watch Roxas fight.

Just like when Roxas had attacked him, he found his peculiar way of holding the Keyblade was strangely effective, lending itself well to fast-paced attacks. Riku kept pace with him, watching the hearts released by him just as closely as he did Roxas's – they too were captured by what appeared to be a very small dark corridor, though unlike their own ones it also appeared to shimmer like a water's surface. Once he caught sight of a bright green light shining back through, but no sign of what it could have been.

"Are you paying attention there?" Roxas's voice cracked. "Snap outta it and start helping, will you?"

Riku smiled to himself, then started throwing darkness behind his attacks to increase their effectiveness. As the Soldiers began to die out the next wave of Heartless approached, Rapid Thrusters, Bolt Towers and Nightwalkers.

"Think you can handle these Heartless?" Riku asked slyly.

"Piece a' cake," Roxas replied. "Just stand back and watch me."

"Sure?"

"Trust me. If you're too close you'll only get caught too."

Riku backed away from the main battle surging around Roxas, taking to the remains of a nearby building to watch while fending off those Heartless that got too close.

Roxas meanwhile seemed to have lost his touch with the Keyblade, suddenly wielding it awkwardly. The Heartless appeared to take that as a sign to attack, circling and closing in. When there was a tight circle of Bolt Towers behind the Nightwalkers Roxas grinned, his skill miraculously returning as he fought off the first wave, then plunged his Keyblade into the ground.

Riku felt the light emerging from that long before it became visible, shooting out of the ground in six great blazing pillars of light arranged in a circle, within which was the emblem of the Organization and at its centre, Roxas.

It decimated the surrounding Heartless easily, then as Roxas withdrew his Keyblade from the ground again the pillars expanded and shot outward in lines to carve huge swathes through the massed ranks. The hearts released by that raised up thick and fast, causing what appeared to be a vast pool stretching above them. Riku realised where the light had been coming from with so many hearts flowing through – on the other side, though badly distorted, was Dark City.

"If you've got that kind of power, what's the problem with running down there and using it on the mass down there?" Riku called down to him.

"Because I can only do it so many times in a day," Roxas called back. "It takes a lot out of me just to do it once, if I do it down there the Heartless will come swarming for me, and I won't have enough of a chance to get away."

Riku picked his way back down, considering this. "You know Roxas, you always seem to complain about this, but now I've seen you here..."

"I seem almost too willing to do the work, right?"

"Right. And you know what Zexion thinks about you. There's something that doesn't seem entirely right about you, but I can't put my finger on it."

Roxas regarded him speculatively, with a look that seemed so similar to Sora's that he was almost surprised to see the resemblance in him. When he started to answer though, another voice overruled him.

"Who are you?" Leon demanded.

"Damn," Riku muttered. "Looks like we'll have to finish this somewhere else."

"Going somewhere?" Yuffie's voice came from behind them.

Riku glanced back to see her stood threateningly nearby, ready to strike out at either one of them. Roxas was still ready for a fight, just like Leon. The two of them showed no sign they recognised him, which was just as well with Roxas around.

"Roxas! Deal with her!" he snapped. "Leave him to me!"

"But Riku-" Roxas protested.

"Are you ignoring my orders?"

Roxas shut up with a harsh look at him, then turned on Yuffie who easily evaded his first strike. While they were busy he lunged for Leon, who also cleared his first strike and struck back sending Riku stumbling back.

He tossed Soul Eater to his other hand and brought out Xemnas' Keyblade, using the two blades to outflank Leon by attacking at different angles. Leon responded by drawing back and launching fire magic back at him, but Riku just reflected it back.

Roxas and Yuffie meanwhile seemed almost as if they were dancing instead of fighting, each closing in to try and attack before darting clear again. Both of them excelled at high speed attacks, putting the two of them together put them almost at a complete standoff.

He was going to have to do something to get away from these two, otherwise they'd be here all day, if not in a standoff then because Leon and Yuffie would undoubtedly try to capture them, and they didn't have time for that.

Riku drew back from Leon, launching a dark fireball at him as he reached out to the local Heartless population again, searching through them to find what Heartless were available. He was limited in his selection, but there appeared to be enough to provide a diversion for them.

He quickly evaded another attack by Leon, using his two weapons together to send him flying back and then lash out briefly at Yuffie as she strayed too close, then returned his attention to the Heartless.

"Come," he murmured again, commanding them. He felt them comply, starting to make their way to this ruined area.

The first of them arrived quickly, but were kept out of sight by a quick command. The airbourne Guardians, accompanied by a Destroyer and more Rapid Thrusters remained behind various ruins, occasionally pushing against his command over them as they sensed the hearts of him, Leon and Yuffie.

He didn't like doing this to his friends, but there was no choice. After Roxas's earlier attack the light was starting to become aware of his presence sooner than usual, and he needed to get out before it overwhelmed him.

At last, the lumbering landbound contingent arrived, the ground rumbling as the heavy mass of Land Armour Heartless piled in through all the available exits, closely followed by the flying Heartless. He forced them to leave one exit out of the area, to give the two at least some chance of escape.

With the Heartless almost completely surrounding them, he drew Roxas away from Yuffie, using the Heartless to create a wall between them.

"Love to stay and indulge you some more," he called through. "But we've pressing business in other worlds to take care of, so I'll leave you in the care of our friends here." Then quieter to Roxas, "Go to the islands and see Kairi. You can tell me what you wanted to later."

Roxas nodded, vanishing into one corridor as Riku created his own one, having to force it out as the light started to wear him down. He did leave one last command with the Heartless he'd gathered not to attack either of them unless they attacked first, which there was considerable resistance to until he drew on the remnant of Ansem to force them to comply.

Once Dark City was safely around him he relaxed, reaching back to the Heartless to find out what they were doing. They'd followed, only to fall foul of a new defence mechanism that left the larger Heartless as easy pickings, while they picked off the less powerful flying Heartless with ease. At least he wouldn't be turning any friends into Heartless today.

Now he knew it was safe he turned his attention to the sky above, wandering through the streets until he had a clear view of their as yet unseen Kingdom Hearts, then following the stream of hearts still flowing toward it to its source.

Several times the strange layout of Dark City caused him to take dead end routes or long detours just to reach them, as the city did not appear to be logically arranged at all. It was as if the inhabitants had just built wherever they wanted, but the inhabitants here were only Heartless and Nobodies, apparently going about a facsimile of life.

The source of hearts was further cut off from the city by a tall ring of buildings with no apparent entrance to them. Reluctantly, as if it would trigger some alarm this close, he opened another corridor to the top of one of them, then a second one that took him down into the clearing below.

It was a clear, square area with nothing but a large fountain in. The waters reflected the various multicoloured neon lights of Dark City that adorned even this inaccessible area. As the stream of hearts emerged from the waters, the reflection beyond shifted and shimmered, showing various areas. There were glimpses of Hollow Bastion, and even him and Riku battling the Heartless – apparently there was some delay between what he'd seen there and what he was seeing now – but there was also another area, too dark to make out except for a tall figure with bright blue hair and a Keyblade that seemed almost shaped like an 'E' at the end. She too was fighting Heartless, though he could not tell where or why.

How then to disrupt this stream? If it was cut off entirely Xemnas would surely notice, but what if he restricted the free flow somehow? It would slow the stream, perhaps even cause the hearts to slowly build up beneath whatever barrier he set in place until they blocked it themselves, and hopefully by that time it would be too late to implicate him.

Riku looked about at the various neon light displays, then an idea came to him. No one had yet told him what the darkness couldn't do, and though he was trying to rid himself of it he might as well get some use out of it while he did have it. If he used it in the right way, he could pull the lights down and use them as a barrier. There would be enough here to create a kind of funnel, narrowing down to the point where only so many hearts would be let through.

It took him some time to achieve it, and he quickly found he had to adjust the makeshift funnel so it wouldn't get backed up too quickly, but it gave him the result he wanted eventually.

"Lets see how long it takes them to find out," he muttered to himself, opening a corridor up to the Grey Area. He should still have some time left before the others started to return.


	29. Laying out Lies

Xigbar and Luxord did not stop by the Grey Area that evening, and given their missions he did not expect to see them in the mornings or evenings for some time until they'd completed their missions or were there to request aid.

Xaldin and Demyx returned, with Xaldin once again in a rare show of emotion. As soon as they were out of the corridor, Demyx almost ran to Riku, while Xaldin looked deploringly after him.

"Don't ever send me on a mission with him again, Riku!" Demyx said shrilly.

"Maybe if you did what you're told when you're told to, I wouldn't need to sent someone to watch you," Riku replied calmly. "Now, what did you find?"

"It's all quiet there. There's a route into the Underworld that recently opened, but otherwise our intel is all up to date still. I'll write up something about the Underworld and its local Heartless later."

"Before tomorrow, Demyx. I don't want you missing any details because you get distracted by tomorrow's mission."

"But Riku-" he protested.

"Tomorrow," he repeated firmly. "Do as you're told, or leave the castle – and you know what goes with that."

Xaldin's expression briefly became a grim smile as Demyx drew back shocked by that, then turned and fled.

"Nice touch," Xaldin approved. "Do you really have authority to do that though?"

"I have no idea. As far as I can tell, anything Saïx is authorised for, so am I."

"Is? You mean he's still around?" Riku just nodded. "Then where-"

"He's otherwise occupied. Information about him will be released on a need-to-know basis."

Riku realised as he said it that if he could cover Saïx's plans, goals and actions here, he could eliminate the Nobody and no one would be any wiser, providing him with a perfect excuse for passing off anything. That said, having Saïx under his control could also prove to be useful...

"I'm back," Roxas's voice cheerily announced, a corridor following. "Did anyone miss me?"

Xaldin looked from Roxas to Riku, then uncertainly asked, "Didn't... he go with you?"

"I did," Roxas answered. "But Riku needed to get back here in time to see you guys, and there was something he needed done, so he asked me to handle it for him. This is for you, by the way," he added, handing a sealed envelope to Riku.

"Good work. Get some rest – you'll be on the same duty tomorrow, only I won't be going with you this time."

"On my own then? I'm finally gonna be trusted to work on my own?"

"Roxas, you can't be serious," Xaldin interrupted. "Saïx would never approve it."

"But as I told you Xaldin, anything he can approve or disapprove, so can I. Roxas has never failed a mission yet, nor has he failed to return from even a successful mission. I believe it is about time we showed some trust in him." He paused and, more to set Xaldin at east, said to Roxas, "You do realize that if we find you've been abusing this trust, you'll stop going on any mission alone?"

"Naturally. Thanks for this Riku, you won't regret it!" and with that he rushed out.

"I hope you don't regret making that choice, Riku," Xaldin told him, then he too left.

"I won't," he murmured after Xaldin's retreating back. "But you might."

Riku took out Vexen's notes once again, but after reading through the last few pages he began to realize he wasn't going to learn any more from them, so filed them away again and decided it was time he checked in with Saïx, opening a corridor directly to his door and knocking.

He knocked a second time when there was no response. A cold feeling started to settle in. Was Saïx up and about, or at least as much as his condition allowed, or had something happened to him? He tried the door to find it was unlocked, letting himself in.

With a sigh of relief he found Saïx was only sleeping and hadn't been woken by the knocking. The table he'd been working at that morning was scrupulously tidy, with everything filed neatly in labelled folders to one side and his own notepad on the other.

There was no point in disturbing him. Given how serious his injuries were he needed his rest, so Riku scribbled down the few relevent details on the missions on Saïx's notepad, idly glanced through the labelled folders in case there was anything he felt worth glancing through, then decided to leave it as it was, heading for his own room.

Once safely there, he finally opened Kairi's letter.

'Riku,

I knew you'd make it through safely. Your friend told me you're working with Organization Thirteen, and what they want. I can only hope you're with them to stop them from the inside.

Whatever the reason though, there's something you need to know about yourself, something I don't think you've noticed yet. You're not just Riku – you're Sora too. Remember that Paopu fruit the three of us shared together on that night before the storm? That's what caused the two of you to become one person. I almost did too, but I'm special – but you know that already.

Be careful of your hearts, Sora, or Riku, or whoever you decide you are. You're one person, but both your hearts can be affected separately. You need to take care of both of them, otherwise if something happens to one of them, it could affect you – and your other heart too.

Stay safe, Riku. I'm waiting for you to come back safely.

Kairi.'

The letter was set down with a trembling hand. It explained so many things – why he'd remembered both Sora's and Riku's memories until Sora's heart had left him, and why since then his appearance had changed further. But it left the question of why he hadn't remembered anything he'd done under the name of Sora, like stealing Leon's Gunblade, or handing Alice over to Maleficent.

Unless Kairi's warning was the key – someone or something had affected Sora's heart but not Riku's, locking him out of it entirely. What then of the Sora Replica that held Sora's heart now? And the real Sora... was the real Sora with the heart, remaining within the Replica, or was it still a part of him?

And what would happen when – or even if – he retrieved Sora's heart again? Would he still be locked out of all those memories, or would he get them back with all those from the islands?

He tucked the letter safely away with Vexen's notes, absently reminding himself he needed to make a safer place to stash them than in his coat, dropping it and everything else beside the bed before he lay back, trying to make sense of it all.

* * *

><p>Some time later, Sora finally reawakened. It was about time, he reasoned. Now Riku suspected, maybe it was time to pick a side. Like Riku, he laid on the bed thinking things through while he persuaded their body to take on his appearance again.<p>

Maybe this time he'd pay a call on the King. It seemed doubtful that the message Riku had lodged in Hollow Bastion would have reached him at Castle Oblivion. He deserved to be kept abreast of the situation.

Once again he took a corridor to the outside of the Castle, pausing once inside to find everyone. The Replica was upstairs still, where there was only one Nobody left. The other three Nobodies were in the lower floors, as was the King. For the moment at least, the Nobodies were not in the same place as the King, so after a moments thought he opened a corridor down to the room the King was in. It looked identical to the white room he'd seen Axel and the Replica in on the previous visit, but in place of any of them was King Mickey, the golden blade of his Kingdom Key pointed threateningly toward him.

"Huh? Sora?" Mickey said, surprised. "But what - I mean, how-"

"It's a long story, your Majesty," Sora replied. "The Sora you came here to help is further up the Castle. I'm... well, never mind that. I've come by way of Riku to fill you in on his activities, if you can spare a few moments."

"Should be. None of the Organization around at least – unless you're with them."

"Only in the same way Riku is. Did you get the message he left at Hollow Bastion for you?"

"Haven't heard a thing. Can't reach anyone outside, and it seems 'cept for you, no one outside can reach me. What's been happening?"

"Leon and his friends from Traverse Town have returned to Hollow Bastion to try to restore it. Riku managed to speak with them without the Organization finding out. You're already here to see Sora, so there's no point in relaying that. He's got suspicions about one of their number, a Nobody named Roxas who unlike the others actually does have feelings – but he has no heart, which makes it hard for him to control them. It was suggested you try to subvert him by offering aid with that. Riku has arranged for Roxas to go on his missions unaccompanied, which should make that easier."

"Not sure what can be done about that," Mickey admitted. "But I know someone I can take him to. What else?"

"There isn't much else right now. The Organization's leader, Xemnas, has somehow acquired a Keyblade for Riku to use. They want him and Roxas to use their Keyblades to gather hearts."

"Riku said the same thing, more or less. What're they gonna do with them all?"

"They plan to make an artificial Kingdom Hearts, which they'll use to give themselves all hearts of their own. When he's playing along with them, Riku holds that he'll ask it to remove his darkness from him."

"We gotta put a stop to that! Only... I gotta get outta here first."

"And neither will the two of you, if we have anything to say about it," a voice echoed. A dark corridor appeared before the next door, depositing one of the Organization with the hood of their coat raised.

"Show yourself!" Sora snapped, bringing Soul Eater to his hand.

"Why would I want to do that?"

Sora gave an irritated growl then launched himself for the figure, Soul Eater poised to strike as he descended on them. At the last moment, the figure vanished, reappearing to one side of the room.

"Zexion!" Mickey cried. "I recognise that magic! You tried the same thing on me when I got this Keyblade!"

"Zexion," Sora murmured, watching him lower his hood to reveal his identity. "Roxas's friend. Lower your weapon, Mickey."

"What?" they both asked at the same time.

"There's a conspiracy afoot," Sora explained. "Axel and Saïx made an agreement to ensure that one way or the other, you were among the members lost here. Roxas... appears to care about you. And if we're going to lure him away, we need something as a show of good faith."

"I don't follow," Zexion admitted. "Saïx wanted me terminated? And now you... you're sparing me to try and convert Roxas? Why?"

"Because he cares. You're friends, even though you're a Nobody. I know what you told Riku when he asked you, and Roxas almost came out and told Riku something about his relation to you before he got interrupted."

"But why terminate me?"

"I don't know that. Mickey, cooperate with me here. I need a place to hide Zexion, and we need to convince the remaining members here that you destroyed him."

Mickey looked troubled however. "What about Roxas? If he gets wind of our deception and doesn't know the truth-"

"I'll have Riku tell him," Sora cut him off. "Roxas can be trusted to keep a secret."

"I could go back to Hollow Bastion," Zexion suggested. "I used to live there, after all."

"That'll be the first place they look then," Mickey shook his head. "You gotta go somewhere they'd never think to look."

"Destiny Islands," Sora said. "Kairi is there. If you tell her the right things, she'll surely help you. I can take you there with me, that way the other Nobodies here will only notice my darkness, and not yours. We'll have to move quickly – we don't want them getting curious about our gathering. Any objections anyone?"

"Wait, Sora," Mickey said. "Can't ya stay here to lend a hand?"

"I'm... needed elsewhere. I'm the only way for Riku to get word to you right now, so I have to keep watch on him. Now let's get moving!"

Zexion, seeming almost in bemusement at the sudden turn of events, had to be dragged into the corridor Sora formed. When he eventually recovered they were almost at the exit portal.

"How is it that no one is aware of your presence in the Organization's castle?" Zexion finally asked.

"I have a good hiding place," Sora replied. "Hope you'll understand if I don't tell you. Riku will tell you – if he feels it necessary. This is where I leave you," he went on, emerging on a starlit beach, briefly describing Kairi so he'd know who to look for. "Be careful about getting seen – I didn't rescue you from termination only to have the Organization find you anyway. Good luck."

Without giving the amazed Nobody time to reply, he quickly headed into another corridor, heading back to Riku's room. He'd been up for much longer this time, still long enough to fit into Riku's normal sleep cycle, but it was easier on them both if he got back soon.

Once back he took up one of Riku's spare notepads, scribbled down a short message for him, then tucked it into Kairi's letter. Hopefully his heart would make him check it, just to make sure it hadn't been a dream or something.


	30. What Lays Hidden

When Riku woke again it was to the sound of someone knocking heavily on his door.

"What d'ya want?" he shouted at it ungraciously.

"What d'ya think?" Roxas's voice came back. "If you don't get up soon Xaldin and Demyx aren't gonna know what they're doing today!"

Riku took that in, then answered, "Go tell them I'll be there soon. I'll handle it when I get there. Don't leave without me though."

"I thought you said I was going on my own?"

"I'll explain later. Don't argue with me Roxas."

Once he judged Roxas had left, Riku finally got up muttering and complaining at himself for letting himself oversleep. A quick corridor took him directly into Saïx's room.

"Most people knock," Saïx observed calmly.

"I'm kinda in a hurry," Riku replied. "I somehow managed to oversleep. Did you find the note I left you?"

"Of course. There is word from Castle Oblivion again, incidentally," Saïx said, handing him a single sheet of paper that held the two missions for Xaldin and Demyx.

"What happened this time?"

"We lost another member there, though again Axel neglected to mention who. He also reports that Sora has gone missing from the upper floors."

"Marluxia then," Riku said after a moment. "And it must have been Larxene who was terminated before. They were the two assigned to the upper floors. Sora must have eliminated them and found a way out somehow."

"Speculate on your own time. Any later and we'll get behind schedule. Has Xemnas procured you a Keyblade yet?"

"The other day. As soon as I know everyone's working I'll start putting in my share of hearts too."

Saïx nodded, watching him leave as he adjusted the sling that held one arm with a series of slight winces.

Rather than walk into the Grey Area as was his habit, Riku simply took the corridor directly there.

"About time," Roxas murmured with an amused look. "We thought you were going to sleep in all day."

"I wasn't sleeping," Riku replied. "I was receiving word from Castle Oblivion. Another member has been lost, and Sora is reported to have disappeared. Until the remaining members return, we're all going to have to put in double duty starting tomorrow, so complete your missions today and make sure you get plenty of rest because it's likely to be the last decent rest you'll have for a while." He paused to glance at the two lone notes Saïx had left him then continued, "Xaldin, get moving – you're needed at Twilight Town. There's been an outbreak of rebellious Dusks there and reports of several other kinds of Nobodies starting to join them. Quell it by any means necessary, but do not attract attention with the locals. Demyx, finish the report I told you to do yesterday then go to the world of Neverland and ensure intel is up to date. Roxas, you'll be going back to Hollow Bastion, but don't open a corridor yourself. I'll create one to a safe destination after the events of our last visit."

Xaldin turned into a corridor as soon as he'd finished hearing his mission, while Demyx reached into one pocket and handed over several sheets of paper.

"It's all there," he told Riku. "Do I really have to do double duty?"

"Stop whining and do your work Demyx, or I'll give you that much work you won't have time to complain."

"You wouldn't dare!"

Riku drew Soul Eater out of the air and held it against Demyx neck.

"Don't ever dare me," Riku replied in a flat voice. "Now move!" he barked.

Demyx fled.

"You know Riku, you're getting to be worse than Lexaeus was when Saïx left him in charge," Roxas observed. "Lexaeus didn't bother saying anything though. That massive sword of his usually persuaded us to cooperate."

"Except for you?"

"Yeah, except for me, but only because I know they needed me. Now why don't you tell me why you're really tagging along?"

Riku raised a finger to his lips, opening the corridor to the site of their last battle. Only once he was sure the entrance portal had closed behind them did he speak.

"Not where Xemnas might hear," Riku said at last. "Remember you were about to tell me something before Yuffie and Leon showed up, and I told you you'd have to tell me later?"

"Oh," Roxas said. "Right. That. Well... who do you think I am, Riku? I don't mean my name. I'm the Nobody of someone, but who?"

"I thought you might be-" Riku stopped, Kairi's letter coming to mind. _He_ was Sora – and he was also Riku. Roxas couldn't be his own Nobody, could he? "Might be Sora's Nobody," he finished, not willing to tell anyone else about that yet. "That's what everyone told me, at least."

"That's what I told everyone too," Roxas agreed. "But I'm not. Every time I met someone called Sora he was a Replica."

"How could you tell?"

"Oh, that's simple. During my early days with the Organization, before they decided I was ready to go out on missions at all, I was told to assist Vexen. Can't go around helping our resident mad scientist without picking up a few things, neh? Anyway, since Vexen reckoned that Replicas were already very similar to Nobodies, they couldn't have Nobodies of their own, and when you stabbed Sora with that odd Keyblade over in Hollow Bastion... well, nothing special happened."

"So who _are_ you the Nobody of?"

"Ventus," he answered. "Aqua – one of my friends when I was still Ventus – needed a place to keep me safe, but every time she thought she found a place Xehanort showed up – he's the original being of both our boss Xemnas and the Ansem you fought."

Roxas paused in his account as they exited into Hollow Bastion, while Riku gestured for him to quiet a moment as he made sure it was safe.

"Clear for the moment. Go on, Roxas."

"Right. Well Aqua figured that if Xehanort knew where to find me nowhere was safe, and my heart was badly damaged. It needed another heart to protect it while it regenerated, otherwise it would have just disintegrated. So we left my heart with a young boy on an island who promised to keep it safe for me until it was whole again, and what was left..."

"Became you," Riku finished. "That's why Zexion recognises you, isn't it? He knows you're Ventus's Nobody."

Roxas nodded, "Axel knows too, and now you. I kept it quiet before because I know if Xemnas found out, he'd try to continue whatever Xehanort was trying to do."

"But what happened to damage your heart that badly?" Riku asked, then glanced up at the sound of something metal nearby. "Actually, another time. I'll bring some of the Heartless here for you before I leave. Don't let anything happen to you... Ventus."

Roxas winked at him then headed toward a clearing that may once have been a gateway into the ruined town. Riku watched him wait there, reaching out to the local Heartless to pull in Roxas's quota, then headed into town himself.

"A boy on an island," he mused on the way back, rummaging through the Riku's memories from the islands. He'd been visited when he was young by a stranger who had introduced him to what he now knew as a Keyblade, but nothing about promising to keep a heart safe. Could Sora be the one they'd asked? Without Sora's heart back though, there was no way for him to tell.

As he rounded a corner to the borough outside Merlin's house, he spotted Aerith in the doorway, looking as if she was waiting for someone.

"Something up?" Riku called to her.

"Just Cloud," she replied. "He went out on patrol last night to make sure no Heartless are sneaking in, but hasn't come back yet."

"I'd have a look, but I don't have long here. How are Leon and Yuffie?"

"They're fine, but you might want to steer clear of Leon for a bit. He understands why you did what you did, but he still doesn't like it."

"Couldn't be helped. I had to keep up appearances. If the Organization got wind of what I'm really up to... well, I don't know what they'd do, but it probably wouldn't be good."

"Next time, try to give us a bit of a chance? You really stretched Cid's defence mechanism to the limits, and he's had to take it offline for maintenance."

"Tell him I'm sorry, would you? When I've got the chance I'll try to stop by again. I'd better get going before anyone notices I'm not working." Once out of earshot he added, "Not to mention this world still doesn't agree with me. Too much light here for now. I need someplace... darker." As if in response to that a corridor formed itself beside him, waiting for him to enter. "Well, what harm can it do?" he wondered, stepping in.

Unlike other corridors this one had no in-between place, making it not so much a corridor connecting two points as it was a portal directly from one to the other. It closed behind him, leaving him stood on what looked at first glance to be a verdant lawn with many clusters of flowers around and a castle in the distance.

At a second glance it still looked like that, but it became clear that whatever this world was, it resided within the darkness, it was just seeing it through the darkness he used in place of his eyes made it seem relatively normal. Cautiously, as if it would cause him to even partly restore his form to that of Ansem's, he nudged up the blindfold over one eye to look out over the world with true vision.

Now he perceived it as it truly was, a darkened realm almost completely devoid of light. The landscape still appeared, but because there was so little light it was just vague, amorphus shapes until his eye started to adjusted and even then it was a world of greys and blacks.

When he turned to look behind, tugging on the darkness so he had a curious double-vision of what he truly saw with his left eye, and the dark vision overlaying his other eye he saw a vast forest with a winding path that lead inside.

The darkness showed him nothing special about this, but his left eye saw differently. There, in glowing blue colour against the monochrome landscape was a trail of footsteps, each one clearly made by a woman's shoe, the kind with a high heel and a pointed toe.

Since it was only visible with his true vision Riku chose to remove the blindfold for now. It caused him to return to Ansem's appearance, but here where no one would notice and where he needed to see what was really there, he reasoned it wouldn't matter.

He followed the curious trail into the woods, which changed from normal looking trees to gnarled, intimidating trees, some of which even appeared to have grown into cruel faces. The footsteps wandered near one, then stopped, continuing again a short distance away as if they had jumped back, startled. The tree made no response to him, so perhaps whatever it had been had long since been gone now.

As he followed the footsteps through the forest he started to pick up a second trail, these footsteps glowing green instead, more full than the first. Definitely made by more conventional footwear, but little else could be told by them. They appeared to put themselves between the first trail and whatever might have been following, the two trails following each other, sometimes stepping on each other until they emerged out into a clearing where a thatched house sat not far from a stream. Here the blue trail ended at the door, which would not open.

The green steps also disappeared here, but they had also led into the forest to defend the blue footsteps from here. Riku followed that trail back where it had come from, following it up a mountainside to a rocky landscape that led into a tunnel opening.

Once again another trail of green footsteps was here. It led from a high ledge where the trail appeared, down into the cave, just like the trail emerging from there.

For a moment he considered calling Soul Eater to hand before he followed the trail further in, but then remembered the Heartless used Keyblades as a homing beacon, and he had said he'd gather at least some hearts for them. Since he already had Ansem's form there was little more that could happen by summoning the Keyblade Xemnas had given him.

The green trail faded out as he summoned it however, the clearing around him suddenly filling with Heartless.

With Ansem's darkness fully available to him, he used it to supplement his Keyblade and his attacks, holding the Heartless at manageable levels by imposing his will on them.

He tired after a time though, sooner than he thought he would. The Heartless were sent away and the Keyblade dismissed to keep them from coming back.

"Either I'm out of practise, or they're stronger than I remember," he muttered, setting the blindfold back in place as he prepared to return to the castle.


	31. Cover Stories

As had become his habit, Riku waited in the Grey Area for the various members to return from their duties with a calm, impassive expression. He started to understand why Saïx never showed even feigned emotion – the appearance it gave them both made them seem like the masterminds behind it, and no one would question them lightly because they both – they thought – spoke for Xemnas.

While he waited he turned his thoughts to Castle Oblivion. Six members had been assigned there, but only two terminated – that they knew of, at least. Larxene and Marluxia were the only one specifically assigned to the upper floors, Vexen and Axel had been there for support as necessary. Yet there was no word from anyone except for Axel's infrequent reports to Saïx, and there was no telling what Saïx was keeping from him.

Then there was Sora's troubling disappearance. Regardless of whether Naminé had been able to use her powers to change the memories that Replica had, the disappearance was still disturbing – the Replica held the real heart of Sora, knowingly or not, and without knowing where it was or what had happened to it, he was worried. Kairi had told him to take care of that heart too, but if he didn't know what had happened to it...

He reached into one pocket for the letter, his questing hand finding another bit of paper with it that shouldn't have been there. Curiously he took it out. In a spidery scrawl he recognised as belonging to Sora was a short note:

'Have taken Zexion to Destiny Islands. Will ask Kairi to keep him safe. CO thinks terminated. Tell Roxas his friend is safe. Will make him more likely to defect. Sora.'

"Sora?" he murmured aloud. "Is this the actions of the Replica... or me?"

A dark corridor formed ahead, preventing him from pursuing that line of thought openly. The note and letter were stashed back away again as Xaldin emerged from the corridor clearly looking weary.

"What happened?" Riku asked.

"The Dusks didn't believe we were acting in their best interests," he shrugged. "They changed their minds quickly when they realised it was even less in their interests to rebel. The other kinds of Nobody quickly disappeared when they realised what was going on. The locals of Twilight Town are starting to get suspicious, however. Some of them suspected I was behind certain incidents caused by the Dusks."

"Inconvenient," he remarked. "We'll have to avoid the place except where necessary from now on."

"Perhaps. What about Saïx?"

"What about him?" Riku replied, unperturbed by the sudden question.

"Why do you continue to cover for him, Riku? Why have we heard nothing about him?"

"I told you yesterday morning. That information is on a need to know basis."

"That's not acceptable."

"That's too bad for you," Riku shrugged. "I suggest you put the matter from your mind. When it becomes necessary for you to know more, I will inform you. Not before."

"You are not even a Nobody. You are only here by agreement. If I tell Xemnas you are being uncooperative-"

"He'll what?" Riku cut him off with an arch look. "I have a Keyblade thanks to him. I put in my share of hearts. Without me, you'd be forced to rely on Roxas and wait twice as long. Saïx trusted me to handle this for him while he is indisposed. I have not abused that trust, nor have I done this task incorrectly. You have no case against me."

"Have you even told Xemnas about this?"

"Saïx made him aware of the situation before he turned it over to me."

"And what about what you've been doing? Have you even been reporting back to him?"

"What about you, Xaldin? Should I go to him and tell him you are questioning his commands? That you are showing signs of dissent? You are not as vital to this Organization as you might think Xaldin. If you continue to act this way, action will be taken to deal with you. I suggest you think about that before you accuse me of not doing my job."

Xaldin, taken by surprise at having the situation turned on him, quickly chose to leave instead of pursing the matter any further. Riku decided it might be worth having something 'happen' to him before he had the chance to press him any further. He'd put it down to an accident or some other easy excuse.

While he waited for the next member to return, he looked down into Dark City, searching for the stream of hearts that would be the result of his and Roxas's actions today. He found it eventually, a very slow flow that was almost so thin as to be unnoticeable. It looked like his sabotage was starting to pay off already.

"Enjoying the view?" another voice came accompanying a corridor.

"Welcome back, Axel," Riku replied, not turning back to see him. "I assume you can clear up a few things about the operation at Castle Oblivion?"

"I'll write up my report in a bit," he said, waving one hand as he joined him at the window. "What are you still doing filling in for Saïx?"

"Something came up not long after you left. He left his normal task to me until it was solved. I've been made aware of a certain agreement he made with you, so you can talk as openly with me as you did him."

"Not here," Axel disagreed. "Never know who might be listening."

"As you wish. But you should at least be able to explain why only you returned from Castle Oblivion."

"That's simple," he replied. "Sora happened – twice, as far as I can tell."

"Twice? What do you mean?"

"One Sora was the one we lured to the castle. He terminated Larxene and Marluxia, then disappeared. No idea what happened to him then. But, just before Larxene was lost, a second Sora – one that had command over the darkness – showed up and dispatched Vexen, right in front of me. Said you'd thank him for it if you knew."

Riku concealed his surprise at this. Two Soras? Had the part of him that was still Sora somehow acted without his knowledge? It would explain how he'd gotten here to leave the note he'd found.

Instead he said, "That doesn't account for Lexaeus or Zexion."

"From what I gather, King Mickey turned up in the basement and got rid of both of them. Not sure about Zexion though – there's something fishy about it. Lexaeus says he sent Zexion down to fight the little King, but Zexion's presence in the castle disappeared not long after. I had a look into it and there isn't even the slightest hint of any remains in the room Mickey claimed to have defeated him."

"As I understand it, Nobodies don't leave behind any remains," Riku covered. "They simply fade back into the darkness."

"That's what I thought to, but I went up and looked at the places the others had been terminated. There were clear signs of the event happening to them – but not Zexion."

"I see. I'll investigate this personally, once I've received your full report on the matter. You can be assured I'll turn over every detail of it."

"Thanks, Riku. Feel better knowing someone I can trust is handling it. How's Roxas been – his usual emotional self?"

"Actually, he's calmed down a bit lately. Try not to faint when you hear this, but he and I have actually become friends."

"Friends? You two? You were almost at each others throats when you first met."

"I know. Things changed though. He told me certain things that he's told you," Riku added, hoping Axel would catch the veiled reference.

"Oh, he has, has he? Interesting. Think I'll see if I can catch up with him before he gets back. Give him a little surprise visit from his best friend. Don't work yourself too hard, Riku," he threw back as he entered another corridor.

So now there were two Soras on the scene. One a Replica, the other able to use the darkness. It seemed likely that the latter was the part of him that was still Sora, but without Sora's heart that would be a Nobody. Maybe that explained why he was using the darkness freely – he had no heart to injure, while Riku was protected only by the remnants of Ansem.

Not long after Axel departed he returned again with Roxas in tow, both of them laughing merrily. They paused long enough for Roxas to confirm he'd met – and even surpassed – his quota for the day, then headed off into the castle, still chattering away. It seemed almost as if Axel was borrowing real feelings from Roxas somehow, becoming more alive in his presence.

Xigbar and Luxord soon appeared, though they said nothing just yet, heading back into the castle. Evidently neither had finished their assigned missions just yet. He wasn't surprised, so sat down to wait for Demyx to return.

He didn't have long to wait before he almost fell out of his corridor, actually looking excited.

"Riku, you won't believe this!" he burst out almost before he'd got back to his feet. "I was up at Neverland and found this boy – we know about him, he's called Peter Pan – but I found out something about him. The Heartless there, they all focus on him, like if he had a Keyblade – but I asked him, and he said he didn't have one, only knew people who did. Then he said one of those Keyblade bearers had given him something important to protect, but he couldn't tell me what it was, so I asked about some more and found a pirate captain who said he'd listened in, and he said it was a heart! The Pan kid has two hearts!"

So _that_ had been where Ventus had hidden his heart. Not with Sora at all. But why there?

Riku concealed his reaction to this, merely commenting, "How remarkable. Perhaps we should look into this in future. Don't put this in your report just yet, Demyx. I'll tell you when. Ensure everything else is up to date though. Would you also find Axel and Roxas for me, and ask them to meet me in the library? I need to discuss something with them now Axel has returned."

Demyx, still caught up in his odd excitement, just nodded agreement and rushed out.

Maybe while he was talking with the two of them he'd find out why Ventus had left his heart there, and let him know that someone had overheard the discussion and knew about it. Better for now that he kept that information out of the hands of the rest of the Organization.


	32. Friend from the Darkness

**A/N:** Right. Lets get back to work on this while I've got some time, shall we? Sorry about leaving you all waiting for the continuation, but I sort of ran out of time for more than one chapter, and much of the interest was focused on a different story.

But now, I have time and inspiration, so for a while at least I'll be back at work on this story too.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>The library was a safe place to meet given that only two members normally ever visited it, and the rest of the Organization thought them both terminated. Riku walked through the shelved, glancing through the titles of the books on them as he passed. It seemed like it had been built up mostly from compilations of scientific reports, of them almost exclusively centred around humans, the heart and the heartless, but they were interspersed with fictional books as well. While they didn't speak well of the Organization's taste in literature, he could understand part of why they were there.<p>

He found the oddly mismatched pair of members hidden a ways in the back, still in high spirits. Axel was the first to notice him having sprawled out in a large chair that left him facing the gap in the bookcases leading to them. Roxas, by strange contrast was curled up cat-like in the chair opposite.

"Well if it isn't our errant friend," Axel remarked. "We were wondering if you were ever going to turn up."

"Not that you'd miss me if I didn't, right?" Riku replied with a faint smile. "I guess you two have caught up by now."

"Sure thing," Roxas agreed. "I've told him, so he knows that you know. Except for the stuff that I haven't told you yet."

"Feel up to changing that a little? I've found out something – two somethings actually, but one of them I need you to explain for me."

"What did you do this time?" Axel said.

"What d'ya mean what did I do?" Roxas demanded. "You don't think I got into trouble again or something?"

"Wouldn't put it past you. Go on Riku – what did you find out?"

"This stays between the three of us," Riku warned, then continued, "Zexion was not terminated. He's presently in hiding, though I can't say where. I'm told Sora intervened on your behalf, Roxas – apparently he knows you're friends with him. More than that, I can't say."

"I knew there was something suspicious about it. That's why you said you're investigating it yourself, isn't it?"

"Exactly. I won't actually be, since that might reveal what happened, but it'll give me an excuse not to let anyone else find out the truth. Now we come to the other discovery, and the one I'm hoping you can explain for me, Roxas. Demyx was on recon work in Neverland earlier today, updating the files we have. I'll spare you the details, but while he was there he discovered a certain Peter Pan-"

"Has my missing heart," Roxas finished. "Yeah, he's the one I asked to protect it for me. How did Demyx find out?"  
>"Apparently a certain pirate captain overheard you asking him to keep it safe and remembers it."<p>

"Hook," Roxas said with distaste. "I knew I should have made a distraction for the bumbling fool. Now as soon anyone looks at the reports they'll find out-"

"No, they won't," Riku interrupted. "I told him to leave it out, suspecting this. It does leave us with a problem though – both he and Captain Hook know, and if they know..."

"Someone could tell," Axel completed. "We could probably do something about Demyx if we had to, but Hook is another matter."

"Not entirely. I still have command over the Heartless, as Roxas knows. I don't like it any more than I did at the Beast's Castle, but I can find a bunch of them and force them to go after him alone."

"How are you going to explain that? If Saïx finds out..."

"Simple. I won't unless someone asks me, and if they do I'll just tell them I was boosting the numbers of Heartless for Roxas and me to harvest from."

"Just where is Saïx, Riku?" Axel demanded suddenly. "No one seems to know, and no one's seen him since the day before you took over."

"In his room, badly injured," Riku shrugged. "The mission he sent himself on turned bad on him, and I pretty much commanded him to take bed rest until he recovered. He handles all the paperwork, I hand out the missions and hear the reports, it all works well."

"Someone might say you could abuse that, you know," Roxas observed.

"Not us though," Axel said. "It does us good. Roxas obviously doesn't want to be doing this, but since they think he needs them and they definitely need him..."

"And what about you?" Riku prompted him.

"I'm on his side of course," he replied without hesitation. "Sure, Saïx was my friend before we became Nobodies, but... well, no need to go into that. He had his goals and until Roxas turned up I was a part of them."

Riku almost said something, but there was a thunderous detonation from somewhere outside. The three of them shared a look, then followed Riku into a hastily created corridor that took them back to the Grey Area, where several other corridors were also opening to deposit all but Xemnas and Saïx.

In Dark City below there was a raging inferno coming from a ring of skyscrapers, all of which in bad shape. Two of them had partially collapsed, and two more were leaning ponderously on just a few remaining supporting beams.

Riku saw what no one else did though. There was a flood of free hearts flowing, not toward Kingdom Hearts but outward into the city itself. His sabotage had come into fruition, though sooner than he'd intended.

"Remain here," he ordered curtly. "Roxas, with me."

"What? Why me?"  
>"Because there are hearts being scattered down there, and that means the Heartless will be there. You and I are the only ones with Keyblades. It's too dangerous to risk anyone else."<p>

"And can you tell that?" Xaldin demanded harshly.

Riku turned on him again, furious at the continued interruptions. "See this?" he demanded pointing to the blindfold. "I wear it to suppress the remains of Ansem. Because of that I have to use the darkness to see by, and that means I see everything – and I mean _everything_. I can _see_ the hearts down there, and free hearts means free Heartless. You will _all_ remain here in the castle unless I say otherwise – or unless Xemnas says otherwise."

Xaldin started back again at Riku's flare of temper. Even Xigbar looked surprised by the sight, but Riku ignored it and forced a corridor out, not bothering to find out if Roxas was following him.

He had, as it turned out, almost having to run to keep up with him.

"If you can see everything with that, can you see what happened?"

"Not here," Riku answered, gesturing mutely to his lips. "The corridor stops me." Roxas caught the implication of that and waited, hurrying along beside him with his own Keyblade in hand ready.

They emerged into Dark City several blocks away from the wreckage of the towers. Thick clouds of dust hung in the air, but they were nothing compared to the swarm of Heartless clamouring for the free hearts.

"At least they're not paying attention to us," Roxas remarked, then fervently added, "I hope they stay that way too."

"They should until we start attacking them," Riku replied, removing the blindfold. "I should be able to hold them off a little better with Ansem's darkness," he continued, his voice crackling as it changed and settled into Ansem's.

"You know what's happened, don't you?"  
>"Sabotage. By me, no less. I found out where the hearts were entering our world from, and set up something to disrupt it. I thought I'd made it so it would be a while before anything like this happened though... and I certainly didn't envision something like this happening."<p>

"Hearts are unpredictable things," a new voice said, deep, though not as much so as Ansem's. They both turned to see a figure stood beside a wall, wearing a long red cloak that covered much of him. Similarly red wraps covered his head except for one amber eye and his mouth. What was not concealed by the cloak was instead hidden beneath a black robe, held closed by a belt that had many small pouches over it.

Roxas glanced from the distracted Heartless to the stranger then held himself ready to attack. "Who're you?" he demanded. "And how did you get here?"  
>"The same way you did," the stranger replied, though his eyes never left Riku for a moment.<p>

"Do you know me?" Riku asked him.

"In a manner of speaking. I know the form you bear... the one who stole my name and cast me into the realm of darkness. But I have left that name behind... I am known simply as DiZ now."

"And what do you want?"

"It appears to be the same thing you want, young man. You both have no reason to like the Organization. I've been watching you, Riku, since you joined the King in the Realm of Darkness. You've met with a terrible fate because of Ansem, for which I am partly responsible... so for that... I must apologise. To you also, young Ventus – or Roxas, as I understand you now go by. While I was not involved in the events that led you to turn yourself into a Nobody or damage your heart, I regret that through the leader of the Organization I am as responsible for what happened to you since as I am for Riku's dark passenger."

"Passenger? Ansem's gone, DiZ," Riku asserted. "All that's left is the remnants of his darkness."

"If that is so, why do you appear as he did without your blindfold? No, Ansem may have lost his form and perhaps much of himself, but as long as you host any part of him, he will not be truly gone. Sooner or later you will have to confront this, but it is not the time now."

"Right," Roxas agreed. "We gotta do something about that?"

"Leave that in my hands," DiZ told them. "While I lack the influence I once had over my fellow man, the Heartless are another matter. I will take them somewhere they will not trouble you further. They will be useful, in their way. Riku... when next you have a moment to yourself, seek me out at the old mansion of Twilight Town. There I will await you, and there we will talk more."

"What about me?" Roxas asked. "Don't I get to come along?"  
>"The Organization would notice if you skipped off a mission, Roxas," Riku reminded him. "I can get out of it because I'm acting in Saïx's place, but you've got a job to do. You go ahead and do what you can about this, DiZ. Once you're done, we'll head back up to the castle and I'll fabricate a cover story we'll both stick to."<p>

DiZ nodded, glancing to the Heartless with an absent gesture. He vanished into a dark corridor even as the Heartless paused in their attempted feast, listening to a silent voice, then they too vanished to leave only the remains of the buildings.

"Aren't we going to do something about all that?" Roxas asked him.

"Does anyone actually live down here in Dark City? Anyone that matters, I mean. I know that somewhere hidden within there is the mechanism that collects the hearts, but I don't know how it works. We'll 'investigate' it, to assess the damage and remove any remaining signs of the sabotage that I obviously didn't do, then we'll go on up. I'll bring a few Heartless here so we can wear ourselves out on them. They might find it suspicious if we came back still full of energy."

"You think of everything, don't you?" he observed.

"Someone has to."


	33. Sabotage

The various members were still gathered in the Grey Area when Riku and Roxas finally returned, looking weary enough to satisfy the demands of what everyone thought they had been doing. They all looked questioningly toward him as his corridor closed.

"Sabotage," Riku announced. "Someone or something has managed to infiltrate Dark City and cause considerable damage, not just to the structures there but the portal that brings all released hearts into our world for our Kingdom Hearts. Since that portal was, as far as I'm aware, created by Xemnas, I can't gauge the extent of the damage to it until he investigates it for himself. All I can say is that it's damaged and given the unpredictability of hearts, I think it unwise for hearts to be collected in the interim. Xaldin, Demyx – I want the two of you to get to work immediately. Find out whoever caused this and bring them to me. Luxord, Xigbar, continue with your current missions in the morning. Axel, make sure your report for Castle Oblivion is done before morning, I'll have your new mission for you then. Roxas, get some rest – you won't be on heart collection until this has been fixed."

Riku stopped to ensure his commands were being obeyed. After a few moments for it to sink in, they all started to disappear again. Only Roxas and Axel did not take a corridor, heading off on their own talking in a hushed voice. Once he was on his own, Riku called out, "Xemnas, if you're listening I need to speak to you right now."

"Come to the Altar of Naught," Xemnas' disembodied voice answered. Riku quickly took yet another corridor up there, privately wondering if he'd still be able to use them safely if he got rid of Ansem. They were proving to be very useful.

"You heard what I said?" Riku asked without preamble as he emerged. The tall Nobody that led the Organization simply nodded gravely.

"I will see what can be done to repair the portal tomorrow. Fortunately, we have several back-up systems scattered about the city in case this happened."

"How soon can you switch over to one?"

"I cannot say. They have never been tested before. We didn't think we would need them. You handled the other members well on your return, but you should keep Saïx abreast of what has transpired."

"Xemnas, he and I can't keep up this charade forever. His injuries are severe and he needs to see someone with medical expertise. If something happens to him, I'm going to have to take over the rest of his job as well, and in all honesty I don't think I'm up to that. Besides, Xaldin is starting to suspect that I might have injured him deliberately, if he found out something like that had happened..." he left it hanging.

"Do not be overly concerned. Have Axel search for someone tomorrow, and overrule Saïx if he decides to send him on another mission."

"Overrule? You're putting me between him and you?"

"No, Riku. You will merely be speaking with my voice, as it were. You still answer to him as much as you do me. Now go, and inform him of our delay."

Riku nodded and left him staring back into the starry skies, heading for Saïx's room next. When he let himself in, he found Axel already with him.

"I don't know," Axel was saying. "I can't even leave you alone for few days now."

"Stop worrying," Saïx told him, nodding to Riku. "He keeps me informed, and I continue to do my work through him."

"Perhaps more soon," Riku said. "Xemnas wants you to find him a doctor tomorrow, Axel."

"Strange, Saïx just asked me the same thing," Axel said. "I'll let you two get to work and stop by again tomorrow sometime."

Saïx merely nodded, watching his former friend – knowingly or not – leave before he said anything else.

"Axel already informed me of what happened. Are you certain it is sabotage?"

"What else can it be?" Riku replied. "No one ever goes into Dark City but the Heartless, and its not as if they've got the brains to know what to do. Even I didn't know how the hearts got here before this happened."

"We can hope that Demyx and Xaldin find something out. Whoever they bring you Riku, leave them in once piece – I have questions for them myself."

"That's if you don't recover first. Anyway, I need to consult with you, since you arrange the work. I talked with Xemnas and he says he isn't sure how long it will take to switch over to one of the backup things, and he hasn't looked at the damaged one yet. I can't say much about the damaged one – I don't know how it works – but I don't think it'd be wise to use it."

"And you want to know what Roxas should be doing."

"And me as well, Saïx. I won't have any missions to hand out tomorrow, and with no heart collection to be done..."

"Take the day off then," he replied after a moment. "There are tasks that could be done, but they are not a priority, particularly not after this. Tell Roxas he can have the day off as well. He's been after a vacation for long enough, no doubt he'll find something to do with it."

Riku turned to leave, but paused and said, "Do you know anything about someone who used to be called Ansem? Not the one I've got the remnants of... the one who's name he stole."

"Ansem the Wise? Ask Xemnas. He can tell you much more than I can. I only ever saw him once."

"Some help that was," Riku muttered on his way back to his room, pausing along the way only to let Roxas know about his newly obtained vacation. His exultant response to that had sounded like it had echoed around the entire castle.

* * *

><p>As he had no work to give out and no work to do, Riku tried to lie in the next morning. His habits had become too ingrained by now though, leaving him restlessly lying trying to figure out what to do. There was none of the weariness that seemed to follow one of Sora's excursions – assuming they were the result of that. Having no evidence to confirm his theory, he didn't want to commit to believing it just yet.<p>

True, he had evidence that fitted – Sora only seemed to emerge when he was sleeping, and even then only if he wanted to. The only times that had been broken was in Wonderland where he'd forced out – or perhaps been forced out, as Sora then had been the one to kidnap Alice for Maleficent. Perhaps she'd had some influence over him.

Then there was the mysterious DiZ, the new arrival on the scene. Once called Ansem until his name had been stolen by the same Ansem who lived on only within Riku, now a figure from the shadows who's goals and purposes remained obscure. DiZ knew about him, though perhaps not about Sora, and knew that he was only with the Organization as the King's inside man. Not that he'd had much chance to do _that_ still.

He'd even known about Roxas's true identity. Where did he get his information from? It seemed clear enough to him, he had to track down DiZ and find out what he wanted. And even that wouldn't be much of a problem, DiZ had told him exactly where to find him.

But first, he decided, it was time to make a regular check up on certain people. He would have liked to be able to go back to the islands to check on Zexion, but the world was too far aligned with the light. Even if he did manage to get there, the coat would only protect him for a short time.

Naturally the first destination was to be Hollow Bastion, and as close to Merlin's house as he dared, figuring that if they spotted his corridor they'd believe only he would do such a thing. He was disappointed on arrival when he found there had been no reaction to his presence.

Except, it wasn't their fault or his, he noticed almost immediately. It was Hollow Bastion, outside Merlin's house, but dead calm – and there was the faintest hints about the edges of his vision that suggested this was not entirely true.

He nudged up the blindfold to look at it with his true sight, and saw why. Like the strange world he'd been to when he'd asked for something darker, so this place too had the darkened skies and a distinct lack of light. He waited patiently for his eyes to adjust to this, slowly starting to make out the familiar sights through it.

It _was_ definitely Hollow Bastion – a Hollow Bastion that resided within the darkness. Had he... somehow caused this?

"This place, but lighter," he commanded. Just as when he'd mentioned needing something darker, a portal appeared on its own. He didn't hesitate to pass through, quickly replacing the blindfold over his uncovered eye as bright light stabbed at it on the other side.

It was the exact same place, but bustling with the same kind of life he was used to seeing here. Evidently the world existed in both light and dark... but why? And how?

He didn't get the chance to think further on that, as something small and black leapt up to tackle him back to the ground, a familiar voice exclaiming, "Riku!"

"Can't you even give me a chance to get my bearings, Mickey?" he replied breathlessly, picking the diminutive king off him. "I guess you got out of Castle Oblivion alright then."

"'course! Don't think I woulda got stuck there, do ya?"

"I don't know, I send half the Organization there and they didn't even slow you down?" he teased. "I can't stay for long, you know. I haven't managed to sort myself out just yet."

"Aw, that's no problem. Kinda need ya to look at something I found while I was there. Merlin's keeping it safe in his house for me. I'll show ya while everyone's out."

Mickey helped him back to his feet, leading the way into Merlin's cluttered house. Books were still scattered everywhere except around Cid's computer, on which was a note telling everyone to leave it alone. Cloud's massive sword was leant against one wall, reminding him that he'd been told something had happened to him. He hoped he wasn't involved in it.

Hidden behind a bookcase was a secret door that led to a small room, big enough for perhaps three people to stand in. Held unconscious against the back wall was an exact copy of Mickey.

"A Replica?" Riku guessed. "Vexen said he had three of them, and I suspect one of them is the person we thought was Sora. His notes suggested he'd taken one to Castle Oblivion with him."

"I didn't want to just destroy him," Mickey nodded. "We might be able to learn a lot from it. That Vexen mighta been a bit misguided and immoral, but his research could prove useful." Then he paused and said, "Wait, did ya say he had three Replicas? Who's the third?"

"I don't know yet," Riku replied, reaching into one pocket to pull out Vexen's notes. "But you might want these. I ordered him to turn over his data on them just before he went there, and this is what he gave me. Better in your hands than mine."

"And Sora? Do ya know what happened to him?"

"I know he defeated Marluxia, who was in charge of the operation there, then vanished. Beyond that I've no idea, and I can't search for him either."

"Because it'd attract attention. Leave it to me! I'll find him for ya – you concentrate on bringing down the Organization. How's that going, anyway?"

"Well, I disrupted their heart gathering activities for a bit," he said, quickly explaining the sabotage and the results.

"Would be nice to knock out the backups too, but can't be too careful. Make sure it doesn't come back on you, 'kay?"

"Don't worry about me, Mickey," he laughed. "If anyone gets too close I'll deal with them myself. I'd better go now, I'm running out of time as it is. Wish I didn't have to put up with it, but..."

"I know," Mickey said knowingly. "Good luck to ya!"

Riku smiled back, quickly making his way back outside before quietly asking for a corridor back to the dark Hollow Bastion. At least it'd give him somewhere to pause before he headed onward, time to recover from the light of the world.

With a faint curiosity, he wondered if these instant corridors would work in other ways too. Where would he go though?

Another idea occurred to him. The Beast and Belle had not yet returned to Beast's Castle, but what if it too had a dark version of itself, and they'd ended up there?

"Dark Beast's Castle," he commanded, and after a moment a portal flickered into being. Sure enough it led to the familiar entrance hall of Beast's Castle, and when looked on by his own eyes it was cast into the darkness... except for a faint light emanating from the east wing. A furious roar shook the castle, coming from the same direction.

Riku smiled to himself, casually sauntering up the staircase to find them. Heartless started to appear as he got closer, ignoring him as they headed down the wing toward Belle's room. Just outside the door, bathed in the only light in this darkened castle, the Beast swung his arms in vast sweeps, his claws and sheer strength tearing through the Heartless easily.

"Get out!" the Beast snarled at the Heartless, then burst into another roar that flung the Heartless away. Riku stood impassively, watching as several of them flew past him. The Beast was so focused on keeping them away from Belle he hadn't noticed Riku yet.

He took advantage of that, removing the blindfold entirely to become Ansem once again, then in Ansem's ringing tones called out, "Heartless! Desist!"

The Heartless stopped, turned and saw him.

"You heart the Beast – get out!" Riku went on. They hesitated for a moment until he drew the dark Keyblade he'd been given, holding it threateningly toward them. At the implied threat, they all vanished.

"You!" Beast growled at him. "The Organization-"

"I'm not with them," Riku said quickly. "I'm... independent. And I also just saved you, so I'd think that would guarantee me the benefit of the doubt."

"Who are you?"

"Ansem," Riku replied. He had a plan forming, but for best effect he couldn't tell them his true name. "I roam the dark side of worlds. Normally pretty aimlessly, but I detected light in this world where there shouldn't be any, and decided to investigate. I presume you know you are not truly in your castle?"

"No," Beast agreed. "It is not. The darkness here... it was too much for me."

"Until I helped him," Belle chimed in, emerging from her room, intensifying the light. Riku winced back from it slightly as she went on, "We found as long as he remained within the radiance of my light, he was safe."

"So I notice. The light, as you can imagine, isn't so good for me, so I hope you'll excuse me. If you're capable of protecting him, I can arrange for you to be returned to the light. I can't follow, of course – I'm of the darkness – but you should be fine. I'd make sure your castle is up to scratch when you return," he added to Beast. "I cannot enter the light side of it, but I've heard word that the Organization is poking around there. You may wish to deal with that."

Beast's face flickered darkly. "Take me there, now!"

"As you wish," Riku said, then to the air beside him, "This place, but lighter!" A portal flickered into life. He gestured toward it.

Belle paused as they passed, looking at him closely. Recognition dawned on her, but she concealed it from Beast and simply said, "Thank you, Ansem. We owe you a favour for this."

The portal flickered out after they'd passed through, the entire place darkening without the benefit of her radiance.

"No, Belle," Riku murmured with a smile. "I owe you. Beast will deal with Xigbar for me, and you'll stop anyone from finding out I'm responsible. And what the Organization doesn't know... can hurt them a great deal," he smirked. "Time to pay a call on my new friend, I think."


	34. Scheming in the Shadows

Unlike Hollow Bastion and Beast's Castle, Twilight Town did not have a dark side to it. He quickly discovered it didn't have a light side either, existing in a unique position of at the same time being in both and neither. Perhaps because it was equally of both, it worked differently.

Riku was happy it wasn't as bad as other worlds. The darkness loomed, but was held off by the proximity of the light, similarly the light was present, but the presence of darkness balanced it. He had no reason to fear either in this world, and could probably stay here safely for as long as he needed to.

He left the blindfold off for now, despite the form it gave him. It was a welcome change to see normally without having to worry about the light harming him. The locals gave him suspicious looks as he travelled through, reminding him of Xaldin's statement – the people here were starting to recognise the coat and what it meant.

Their reaction was ignored for now, and similarly while they looked on warily, they feigned ignorance of him as well. As long as they didn't interact or he didn't call Heartless or Nobodies, there'd be no problem – not that he needed to do either here.

The mansion DiZ had mentioned to him was reached through a crack in a tall wall, leading through an old forest of trees that had grown so tall and broad that their canopies masked the light almost entirely, leaving the narrow beams of light to play their own games of cat and mouse as the leaves above moved in the slight wind.

Beyond was a neat, well kept garden, extending past the walls and locked gates up to the mansion itself. Several old gravestones were inside the walls, but too weathered and damaged to be recognisable.

Riku unlocked the gate with the Keyblade as he approached, not hesitating to walk straight through and into the mansion itself. Inside was not in good condition, with dust and broken remains scattered about. One door frame had collapsed entirely, blocking the way through to whatever was beyond, and the rear doors that should have led to the back garden were grimy, concealing the overgrown plants that choked it anyway.

Something else was near, something that pulled intangibly on him. A silent call that was very familiar. Could it mean that...

A door creaked, revealing DiZ looking out.

"Over here," he called. "Much of the mansion is in poor condition, but at least the lounge is intact. We can talk with some comfort."

"That's a rare thing lately," Riku replied, following. The table in the center of the lounge had been smashed by a fallen chandelier, but DiZ had cleared up the wreckage and salvaged several large armchairs for them to use. Riku sank into one gratefully – aside from the couches in the Grey Area and the beds, the Organization didn't seem to believe in such comfort.

"You made good time," DiZ noted. "I had not expected to hear from you so soon."

"Apparently my sabotage was better than I thought," Riku laughed. "The portal that collects released hearts is badly damaged, and Xemnas has elected not to use it until it can be repaired. There are backups, of course, but no one thought to test them, so I've got the day off."

"You should be wary of repeating that kind of sabotage, Riku. As I mentioned, hearts are highly unpredictable. It is very difficult to say what effect you would have had, had there been hearts passing through the portal at the time."

"I'll just refine my methods a little. I know what happened, more or less. As long as I can control when it happens, I can control the effects to some extent."

"A wise precaution. Now, to business. You've no doubt learned of who I am... or was."

"Ansem the Wise. I meant to find out more, but got pointed to Xemnas – and he's busy."

"It will do. I regret to admit that I am responsible for Xemnas, and indeed much of the Organization. You see, the first six members were originally my apprentices, researchers investigating the mysteries of the heart. It was through that work I caused the Heartless to become aware of the hearts of entire worlds and discovered the darkness of the heart – the source of the power that has so corrupted them and even to some degree you."

"You're... but I thought Maleficent-"

"Yes. Even, later Vexen, leaked our research to her for reasons I never discovered. When we uncovered the ruin we could have brought to the worlds I commanded an immediate stop to all our work... however, they all went on without me, and when I tried to oppose them..." DiZ laughed. "I was but an old man. What could I hope to have done against my own apprentices once the darkness claimed them? Banished to the dark realm, bereft of my name and research... Xehanort took my name as his own, then gave himself to the darkness to become two separate beings."

"Ansem and Xemnas," Riku guessed.

"Exactly. The one who sought to reach Kingdom Hearts through the Door to Darkness, and the one who seeks to create his own. Both as foolish as I was."

"What do you hope to achieve, DiZ? What do you need me for?"

"Revenge," he shrugged. "I make no attempt to conceal it. I could call it making amends to all those I have wronged with my work, but I must call it what it is. You defeated Ansem, though a part resides with you still, but Xemnas remains still. I cannot rest until both have been purged just as they purged me from the realm of light."

"You need me for the same reason the King does then – an inside man."

"And because I need someone who can move about in the realm of light, Riku. You know you cannot qualify for that, but you have access to one who does. Roxas, once Ventus... if we can bring about his restoration, I will have an agent in light and darkness, and from there I can destroy the Organization and set free all the captive hearts they have taken. And there is another thing as well – call it my attempt to buy your loyalty if you wish, but I owe you at least something in apology for what you have had to bear."

DiZ paused. Riku suspected he knew what was coming next, and he suspected it had to do with the tugging call he'd felt.

"Go on," he prompted DiZ.

"Below this mansion I have constructed a hidden laboratory, originally meant to hold Sora when he left Castle Oblivion that Naminé might repair his memory... and yet, when she was examining him, she found discrepancies."

"You know he's a Replica, you mean."

"Not just any Replica however. His body may not be the original, but his heart is. The memories of a Replica can be altered more readily than those of an ordinary being too, as Naminé has already learned. When she investigated his heart as I asked her to, she followed its trail... back to you. You are a most curious being, Riku – two hearts, and one body. I would at the very least offer to return that missing heart to you... if only I knew how to retrieve it from him."

"I know a way," Riku said after a moment's thought. "But it needs him to be awake. He has to summon his Keyblade and let me borrow it."

"There may be trouble with that. The Organization have a tracker on him. If he awakens, it will be triggered."

"Leave it to me. I'll handle it and anything that comes with it. I might need to lure Roxas away from the Organization first, but I'm certain I can handle this."

"Riku... what do you plan to do once they lose Roxas?"

"I'll fill in for him," he shrugged. "I'm the only other one they've got who can wield a Keyblade. They'll have to depend on me."

"And complete their Kingdom Hearts?"

"It's an unavoidable consequence, but I'll delay it where I can and if it gets too close... well, a missing Nobody or two won't be missed. Now let me ask you something – what are we going to do about Ansem?"

"My dear friend the King, though he did not recognise me, gave me valuable insight into this problem while at Castle Oblivion. Given the nature of that place, it is conceivable that you can force your remnants to appear with his form, and should you conquer them the remnants will be destroyed along with that form... however..."

"Let me guess. It depends heavily on the heart, and that makes it unpredictable."

DiZ nodded agreement. "It is better than nothing, and at the very least it will bring some benefit to you. It may be wise to undertake this as soon as possible – the longer those remains stay with you, the more of your darkness it will command and the harder it will be to face it."

"Easy or hard, he'll look the same with when I run my Keyblade through him," Riku shrugged dismissively, rising to leave. "I'll take care of that now while I've still got the day off, then check up on Roxas and see what I can do about that particular part of the plan. You might want to coordinate with Mickey and see what he can do as well."

"I fear that may be unwise... the King knows me only as DiZ and has not made the connection to who I was. I fear should he become aware of that he will try to stop me... he does not believe in revenge as a proper course. No, it is in our best interests for now that he and I do not deal with each other directly. I believe even as he does, that we can trust you. Best of luck, Riku – may you bring us both closer to all our goals."


	35. The End of Ansem

Riku wasted no time in heading to the deserted Castle Oblivion, cleaned out and completely empty now the Organization had vacated the premises. No Nobodies, no Heartless, not even a single soul anywhere in the castle. His own darkness, snaking out through the floors using the few shadows cast as waypoints and boosters to extend his reach, told him this within moments of seeking it out.

He had never come here before, but there were traces of the Sora Replica's journey through here, and even some other traces that further suggested the idea that there was another Sora, the other side of him acting on his own.

He also found that here in the Castle, the blindfold was unnecessary - whether by some illusion or just because of the place itself, he no longer had Ansem's appearance.

On the other hand, he no longer had his own appearance either. He gave himself a glance over, finding he looked more like Sora – or at least, the mirrored Sora he'd seen ever since the two had become one.

Where on his original arrival at Hollow Bastion he'd merely appeared to be Riku with some few of Sora's affectations – his hairstyle and the crown, to name but a few – now the reverse held true. He looked like Sora, though he noted beneath the coat he still wore the outfit he'd arrived in Hollow Bastion in. The only similarity was in the hair, still the same dark brown it had been, but settled into the style Riku – the original Riku, that was – had left it.

Rather than pause to ponder this though, he warily headed through the first room of the castle. Empty as it was, the idea of coming face to face with Ansem again was not entirely appealing. Once had been bad enough, and he'd had Donald and Goofy at his side then. Here he was on his own.

"So at last you've come to face me," Ansem's voice sounded from behind him. Soul Eater came unbidden to his hand rather than the Keyblade. "Fool, boy. Do you think you can stop me a second time?"

"I stopped you before," he shrugged in response, willing himself to stay calm and keep his tone level. "Once more isn't going to be hard."

"Is that so? But I know you now, Riku. I've watched you from your own darkness. You want the darkness – you want me back."

"That's not true. Alright, I need the darkness, but I don't want it."

The sound of a corridor took Ansem, depositing him in front instead, no different to how he remembered seeing him.

"Would you like to know what I see when I look at you, Riku?"

"I'm sure I'll find it absolutely fascinating," Riku replied with only slight sarcasm.

"I see a boy who reached his strength on the back of darkness I provided. Who disposed of Maleficent and even brought the Princesses together on my advice. You worked against her from within, even as you do the Organization now – but look! But for a few petty acts of sabotage, what do you have to show for it? Without me, you are no rebel. You may as well admit you work for them now."

"Oh really? And just how would you do it, Ansem? Just what would you have me do if I did agree to accept you back?"

"Nothing," he said with a smile. "You are already doing enough. Let them complete their goal. You desire power, else why would you command the darkness so willingly? But even that is nothing compared to the might of Kingdom Hearts. Once denied it, now they create it anew. All you need do is wait... for the opportune moment."

"When it's of greatest gain to you? I don't think so. The only reason I want their Kingdom Hearts completed-" Riku paused. "In fact, I don't think there is a reason. I'll be getting rid of you here, and that's the biggest issue. Everything else I can handle on my own."

"Still you spurn the ultimate power that could be yours! Why?"

"I told you. I don't want it." Riku sighed, staring up at the ceiling. "What it boils down to is this. You're a power-hungry egomaniac. I'm not. You want Kingdom Hearts. I don't. You need someone to work through. I refuse to be that one. Since Sora is off-limits to you and all that's left of you is a few remnants this Castle is projecting as you, you have to try to convince me to take you back – and I'm not likely to do that. You're out of bargaining chips, Ansem," he went on, looking back to the Heartless of the one who stole Ansem's name. "All that's left is to dispatch you."

Ansem was unmoved by the speech. He stood with arms crossed, looking almost amused, then when he finally spoke it was in derision. "Do you really think a fake could beat the real thing, Riku? Only your heart remains true – or had you never noticed?"

"You're crazy," Riku shook his head. "You make it sound like I'm exactly like the Sora Replica."

"Perhaps you have more in common with him than you think. I'd tell you more... but as you say – I'm out of bargaining chips. And if I have nothing to negotiate with..." he reached out, Soul Eater vanishing from Riku's hand to reappear in Ansem's own.

Without missing a beat, Riku summoned the Keyblade Xemnas had given him, already lunging for the remains of the Heartless. Ansem avoided it easily, striking back only to miss himself as Riku rounded on him again.

Ansem took a very defensive stance, choosing to pass up avenues of attack in favour of avoiding any harm. Riku reasoned it was because he wanted fighting him to seem futile. To counter it he pulled on the darkness, ignoring the fact that Ansem was much of his darkness.

He had to come up with something Ansem wouldn't expect, and that meant finding out just what he could do with it. Ansem seemed to have the same idea, projecting a barrier of darkness around himself.

Riku shaped the darkness around him, letting him move swiftly. The barrier, despite being made from the same darkness, still blocked his way.

"Unlock!" he commanded, aiming the Keyblade for it. It worked for doors, why not for barriers too?

The barrier flickered under the wan grey light coming from the Keyblade, but managed to hold. It wasn't enough by itself, he needed something that would cut through. Or he needed to nullify its effect.

He reached out, making some show of attempting to break through physically again as he touched the barrier and started to align his darkness with it, making them coincide. The darkness supplying the barrier would think his own darkness was the same as Ansem's and let him through – in theory.

-_Yes – accept me back into your heart!- _Ansem's voice sounded in his mind. Riku ignored it, striking through the barrier and straight into the heart of the remains.

"You have no place in _my_ heart," Riku told him flatly, emphasising every word with another blow.

"You may destroy me," Ansem breathed, already starting to fade. "But the seeds of doubt are already sown. You'll regret not hearing more from me, Riku," he whispered with his last breath, then with a faint brush of wind, he was gone.

Already his darkness seemed vastly less than it had been before, but Ansem was right – he had doubt. What was it that he shared with the Sora Replica? What had he meant about being a fake? He couldn't be a Replica himself... could he?

He brushed those thoughts aside, rechecking the castle to ensure it was still empty, then headed back outside. With the blindfold still off he almost expected to return to Ansem's form, but instead he remained the same as he had inside the castle. Proof enough for him that he'd rid himself of Ansem.

With the small darkness he had left he opened a corridor back to the World that Never Was, and if anyone got curious about the new appearance and the lack of the blindfold, he'd already decided to tell them to mind their own business.

* * *

><p>Later that evening, he leaned against the window of Saïx's room, staring down into Dark City as he filled him in.<p>

"Haven't heard from Xigbar since this morning," Riku told him. "But that's probably not remarkable, he is still investigating the Beast's Castle. He hasn't told me anything since starting the mission, so I can only assume he doesn't have anything. Same for Luxord, but he at least stopped by, telling me he wanted permission to talk to certain people in Hollow Bastion."

"What did you tell him?" Saïx asked.

"I told him he could probably expect them to welcome him with a policy of shoot first, questions later, but he was welcome to try. He did try to get me to go with him or to assign Roxas with him, but I've got other things I want to do and the last thing we need is to lose Roxas in some pointless skirmish."

"Speaking of Roxas, what has he been doing?"

"I wouldn't know. It's a day off for him. As long as he turns up tomorrow I'm not too concerned. Even if he just shows up to find he has another day off because the portals aren't ready yet."

"No need to be concerned there. Xemnas has already informed me we have one of the back up portals operational. The original is severely damaged, perhaps irreparably so. We can only hope Xaldin or Demyx find the culprit."

"I certainly hope so," Riku said. "Once you're through with them I've got my own plans for them."

Involving the termination of both Nobodies if they get close enough to finding out I'm responsible, Riku thought to himself. "I wish I'd heard back from them as well. I saw them, but neither of them said anything."

"Inconvenient, but soon you will no longer need to worry. Axel found and took me to see his medical expert. She believes I will be back on my feet in a few days, so all you need do is be patient and continue to handle things for me, then when I have recovered I will take over again. No doubt it will set to rest the rumours that you are responsible for my apparent disappearance."

"That'll be a weight off my shoulders," Riku agreed. "No offence, but sometimes I wonder how you manage it."

"Organization and procedures," Saïx answered with the barest hint of a smile. "I had a long time to put them into place before Xaldin found us Roxas."

"Where did you find him?"

"Roxas? In Twilight Town. All new Nobodies appear there when they are created. When we heard about your actions in Hollow Bastion he immediately went there to search for the Nobody of Sora. Roxas was the result. He is unusual among Nobodies in more than a few ways – for one thing his prior life seemed to have assert itself much quicker than is normal, and with a number of considerable differences. He was able to confirm events that happened in Sora's life to prove he was Sora's Nobody, so the matter was put down as a special circumstances – we had no idea what would happen to a Keyblade Bearer when they became a Nobody."

"And you think the Keyblade is responsible for the differences. I wonder if that's true?"

Saïx paused in his work, fixing Riku with a stare that seemed to bore into him.

"Why would you say that, Riku? Do you know something we don't?"

"Lots of things," he admitted, unashamed. "But most of them aren't relevent."

"And those that are?"

"Pure speculation, hunches, intuition and the like. I don't like to work with uncertainties. If I can't confirm them and they're not important, I don't mention them."

"Roxas is the only one beside you who can gather hearts Riku. I'd say whatever you know is worth mentioning."

Riku paused to think, realising he might have said too much already. Then again, maybe he could turn this to his advantage.

"I heard a rumour earlier today. Stopped by Neverland to verify a few details from Demyx's report – not that I think he missed anything, I just had a feeling and I wanted to check up on it. There's a captain there I know, Captain Hook. He doesn't know I listened in on him, but I overheard him mention something about a boy named Ventus asking a native boy to protect something."

"How does that relate to Roxas?"

"I'm getting to that, let me finish," Riku snapped with faked irritability. "If Hook can be believed, and despite being a pirate he usually can, it was his heart Ventus had the boy protect. I asked about – carefully mind. The description of Ventus matches Roxas perfectly."

"So perhaps Roxas is the Nobody of Ventus and not Sora," Saïx mused to himself. "If that happened before the events of Hollow Bastion, we would have missed it entirely. It would explain the differences we observed in him. But why would he leave his heart behind?"

"I couldn't say. It's still only rumour. Hook is more or less reliable, but we don't know who he heard it from or how many hands its been through to reach him. I don't think we need do anything about it though – as long as he still works for us, it doesn't matter who he's the Nobody of, right?"

"Perhaps so. Riku, I am going to ask you to do something that you may find... objectionable." Riku said nothing, glancing to him with an inquiringly raised eyebrow. "Do not speak of this rumour to anyone – even Xemnas. If it is true and Roxas finds out we know he may turn on us, and if Xemnas finds out, it is possible he will continue what his original being had planned for the boy Ventus – both of which would lose us Roxas. We cannot afford that right now."

"What does Xemnas want to do?"

"He has not seen fit to take me into his confidence on the matter, and I do not think him likely to change that. Go to bed, Riku – tomorrow there will be no new missions to hand out but Roxas's, and I trust you to go with him somewhere to handle both your quotas."


	36. The Saboteur

Though it was early yet, Riku was troubled, looking from the window of his room into Dark City. Not by eliminating Ansem and the resulting dramatic reduction in the darkness he held – he decided it was worth having to work a little harder to achieve the same ends if it meant Ansem was out of the picture.

It was more because he'd lost his excuse to see using the darkness. Somewhere in Dark City there was a newly active portal, and without that dark sight he would be unable to see it when he and Roxas returned.

There was no point in trying to find it anyway, he concluded. He'd already looked over the city beneath and found no repetition in it at all. The ruins of the first portal, though they had been cleaned up, were still clearly visible – but nowhere else in the city was there a ring of skyscrapers, or for that matter any structure at all. No doubt he was responsible for that too. Xemnas would have altered any disguises on the remaining ones to try to hide them from their phantom saboteur.

It was too early to rouse Roxas by far, but he had no intentions of going back to sleep. His body had always rebelled against the idea, even back into the original Riku's lifetime. Sora's memories were still unavailable, but he had a few of Riku's memories that suggested it was the same thing there. Now he had a double dose of it.

A flicker of light below caught his attention, though it turned out only to be Xaldin passing over a reflection on a shallow puddle, temporarily blocking it from view. Xaldin was clearly a workaholic too. As Xaldin paused, an idea occurred.

His body clearly had the ability to change – he'd seen that in Castle Oblivion, and when Maleficent had used the other side of him everyone had seen Sora instead. Maybe he could learn to command that – the ability to have people know him as two different people could be useful.

Out of sight of the window he thought for a moment, then decided perhaps it was time Xaldin got to meet the saboteur – but not him. Riku concentrated, having no idea how this could possibly work, then felt... different. Definitely different.

The coat still covered most of any change he might have effected, but glancing up at the mirror opposite told the true story. Looking back out of blue eyes at him was Sora. It was just the appearance of it though, there was no separate awareness.

He shrugged off the coat to find he even bore Sora's outfit beneath, his own clothes changing to match – not that he could see why they should change also. Then again, maybe it had something to do with his heart.

It wouldn't do for Xaldin to see any tie to the Organization's Riku, so he quickly divested himself of any such sign, glancing back into Dark City to find Xaldin. He'd moved on now, but would no doubt recognise the sound of a corridor, if not the scent of someone else's darkness on the scene. The corridors were still not as easy to form as they once had been, but he managed, opening one. Strangely, it still left him unaffected – perhaps because he was now using Sora and as Sora's heart wasn't with him he was safe. Perhaps.

Riku looked about at the fountain, spotting Xaldin pause at a junction several streets down. Riku watched, ostensibly looking about as if uncertain of where to go. After a time, Xaldin finally glanced back and spotted him – but didn't move to intercept him.

He felt the reason why more than heard or saw it. Xaldin was marshalling some of the local Heartless. Xaldin, however, did not know what his Keyblade looked like as only Xemnas and Roxas had seen him with it, so he took the chance and as one Neoshadow drew close he called the Keyblade to his hand and almost casually obliterated it with a string of blows. Once it was down he looked about again, then picked another route at random.

"Take the bait, Xaldin," Riku said under his breath, not hurrying. He didn't want to lose him. Not yet, anyway.

Disappointingly, he didn't react. He just stood and watched. Riku continued on, occasionally destroying another Heartless that got nearby. He could have commanded them, but that too was more difficult without Ansem, and anyway Xaldin would probably notice.

After rounding a second corner he discovered Xaldin had, in fact, reacted. He'd waited until his target was out of sight and then planted himself right in his path.

"Strange place to be taking a night-time stroll," he said as if this was normal, though the expertly held lances in either hand suggested otherwise. "Particularly for someone like you."

"Someone like me?" Riku asked, trying to hide how odd it felt to hear Sora's voice again. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You aren't of the Organization. You aren't even a Heartless."

"But I _am_ a Nobody," he said. Which was technically true. He appeared to be Sora, and Sora did not have a heart. At least not with him.

"Impossible," Xaldin asserted. "We would know immediately if you were."

"Would you? Or would you be so distracted by finding the guy claiming to be my Nobody?"

"And who would that be?"

"Roxas, of course. Oh, and you were also busy with Riku too. He showed up not long after. So you missed me."

"So you are Sora. How interesting. Perhaps you'd tell me what happened when you left Castle Oblivion?"

"I came here, of course," he lied smoothly. "Heard about what was going on after a bit, now I'm... looking for something."

Xaldin caught the deliberate pause and reference, as he was meant to. Still he was curious though.

"And just how did you hear about this? Did the Heartless tell you?" he suggested scornfully.

"Don't be absurd. It was-" he paused as if about to reveal something. "Oops. Can't tell you that. You'd have to terminate him if I did, and that'd mean I lose my contact."

A lance was levelled toward him.

"If you have any intentions of leaving in the same shape you came, you'll tell me exactly who it is."

Riku touched the Keyblade to the side of the lance and pushed it aside.

"I don't think so. But there is something I can tell you. That Kingdom Hearts Xemnas is creating? He doesn't plan to share it. It's made of many hearts, true enough, but you'll see when it appears it's only one heart in the whole. One heart per person."

"He would still command its power. We will still benefit from it."

"Oh, the Xemnas of today could, maybe," Sora agreed. "But the Xemnas of today hasn't handled a heart for a long time, has he? He'll be almost completely unprepared for it, and he'll also have every heart that makes it up to square with. Thousands of conflicting emotions and wishes. Can you be sure that the Xemnas who claims the heart will not end up being loyal to it? That whatever consciousness results from it will let him use it and not keep it for himself?"

"You're just trying to make me turn traitor. You could be making this up."

"Could, but I'm not. Anyway, you'll probably be able to verify it yourself if you look in the right places. I'll leave that to you – I'm looking for something else, and it isn't in this part of the city. Think about it Xaldin," he said, dismissing the Keyblade and opening a corridor. "I'm sure you'll figure out what the right thing to do is."

* * *

><p>Later, Riku forced his form back to normal – well, what had become normal since becoming the Organization's double-agent – and went looking for Roxas's room. Roxas, unlike him, had a habit of rising later than most others, so the chances were he was still in his room.<p>

After knocking his door, a bleary-eyed and tousle-haired apparation regarded him for a few moments, then opened the door further to let him in. Unsurprisingly, the room was a chaotic mess. Not that it appeared to bother Roxas, who even in his barely awake state he navigated it easily, finding what he wanted with only minimal searching.

"Not a morning kinda person, huh?" Riku remarked after a moment.

Roxas grunted, then eventually replied, "I'm allergic to mornings. Stupid time to be up. Guess you don't have a choice though."

"Well, someone has to know what they're doing around here, and that means getting up before the lot of you. I won't have to in a few days though, or so Saïx says. He's on the mend at last."

"Oh, joy," he said with a profound lack of enthusiasm. "Just what I want. Seeing scar-face again every morning. Why's he sent you to bother me this morning?"

"Actually, it's my own idea. You're the only one without a mission, and last night Saïx told me he trusts me to take you somewhere and handle our quota. I thought you might like an early start," he added with a sly grin.

Roxas snorted derisively, fending off a yawn, then glanced in a mirror and shrugged. "Good enough I guess. It's not like I'm trying to win a beauty contest here."

"Not that any of the others would know what one is," Riku chuckled. Rather than try to find a clear spot to open their departure corridor, he led the way back outside instead.

"Where to then? And can I grab something to eat first?"

"You might as well, I haven't figured out where I'm taking you yet. Might go check up on Xigbar, find out why I didn't see him yesterday and see if Beast is back at his castle."

"Um," Roxas murmured vaguely, wandering off to find breakfast.

"Just drop in on the Grey Area when you're done," Riku called after him. Roxas didn't reply, but he was hardly surprised.

When he arrived at the Grey Area, he found Xaldin pacing around.

"About time," he muttered when he spotted Riku enter.

"You're up early," he noted.

"Late, actually," he said dismissively. "I think I've found your saboteur, but he got away before I could confirm it."

"Oh?" Riku asked, feigning interest. "Who?"

"Sora, that's who. He's somewhere in Dark City. I happened across him by chance in the early hours of this morning. As soon as he noticed me he ran though."

Interesting, Riku noted to himself. Why was Xaldin concealing the truth?

He pretended to think it over, then said, "It's not concrete, but track him down. I'd like to have a word with him, and so would Saïx when he takes up his usual job again. For now though, get some rest – you're no use to us too tired to work. Leave it to Demyx today."

"If he finds Sora, we could lose him," Xaldin said. "He had no problem destroying Heartless."

"He can handle himself. Heartless are one thing, a member of the Organization, even one such as Demyx, is quite another."

"Riku, he terminated at least two members of the Castle Oblivion operation!" Xaldin exclaimed.

"He terminated Marluxia and Larxene, who were the lowest ranked members," Riku replied calmly. "I hardly think the rest of us have reason to be concerned. Now, Roxas and I will be leaving as soon as he gets here, so I'll leave it in your hands to inform Demyx of his task, and if either of you have any further problems with it you can take them up with me later."

Xaldin glowered at him, then stalked off muttering to himself animatedly. Roxas stepped aside as he entered, watching the tall Nobody leave, then joined him.

"Amazing," Roxas remarked, sounding more awake now. "He does know how to pretend to feel. I thought I'd have to stamp on his foot to get any kind of reaction out of him."


	37. Past Revisited

"This place?" Roxas asked as Riku's corridor took them to Beast's Castle. "Isn't this where you sent Xigbar?"

"Yeah, kinda why we're here. Xigbar didn't check in yesterday, so I'm hoping the Beast took my advice and eliminated him for me. Not that he knows it was my advice," Riku added. "He thought I was Ansem."

"So we're looking for him then?"

"Belle, actually," Riku corrected, leading the way up the grand staircase. "Beast might misunderstand the meaning of these coats; Belle would recognise me instantly. I hope."

"There I was thinking I'd actually have to do work today," Roxas chuckled. "Instead I'm being dragged around to convince everyone we're working."

"Oh, we're still doing the whole heart collection thing, just later. I can't check up on these things officially because officially I'm not involved in them. Which reminds me – start being rebellious again."

"You said what?" Roxas said incredulously.

"You know, like you were when I turned up. I want the Organization to think you're starting to question your reasons for being with them, that sort of thing."

"You _want_ me to turn on them?"

"Of course. They'll have to depend on me then, and the original idea Xemnas had – asking Kingdom Hearts to purge my darkness – is out of the question now because part of it was Ansem, who is now gone, and the rest is as much a part of me as my right arm. Besides, I have a contact outside who needs someone who can move about in the realm of light, and I don't qualify any more."

"Axel's never gonna believe you told me to do this. You realize I'm gonna have to start acting up again, even toward you," he added slyly.

"As long as you don't take me up on the offer to attack me again," Riku replied. "Quiet now," he added and knocked Belle's door. "Belle, it's me – Riku. Are you in?"

"Ma'am is seeing the Master at the moment," a voice came from the other side. "Kindly seek her in the east wing and leave me to work."

Riku gave the door a curious look. "That's new," he murmured.

"What, never heard a servant before?" Roxas asked, looking amused.

"No... just last time I was here was with Vexen, and he told me there were only two inhabitants – Beast and Belle."

"Want me to go fetch the report on this place for you?" Roxas offered, but Riku shook his head.

"It's not all that important. Lets just find Belle and hope she can stay Beast's hand if we find him too."

"Paw," Roxas said.

"What?"

"He has paws more than hands, Riku. I know of him, and I know what he looks like. He's got paws."

"Whatever," he replied dismissively, already heading back. He paused at the doors to the ballroom, glancing in to be sure they weren't in there, then continued on. "I might need you to grab something actually, but I'm not sure where Axel will be."

"Axel? What does he have that you need?"

"He knows how to detect the remains of Nobodies. I'd like to confirm Xigbar didn't fake it or something."

"Ever seen Xigbar try to act? He's terrible at it. Hates anyone finding out."

"And you know this because...?"

"I couldn't sleep one night and took to walking about the castle," Roxas shrugged. "When I passed his room I heard his voice, so I listened in. Sounded like he was acting out some play."

"What a fascinating sideline."

"Mine or his?"

"Both. What else have you found in the night?"

"Oh, a bit of this, a bit of that," he replied evasively. "Found your room conspicuously empty one night a while back. On the night just before you sent Xigbar here, I think."

"Odd. I don't remember doing anything that night. Probably I just started sleepwalking," he said aloud, but inside he suspected Sora had emerged.

Riku almost voiced a reply, but a roar shattered the air. He paused to listen, then said, "His room, most likely."

"Unless that was because he's noticed us," Roxas murmured.

"Not likely. These coats mask our presence. He might notice Heartless, maybe even the lesser Nobodies, but he can't pick up us."

"Now there's something to think about. You said you got rid of Ansem, didn't you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Wasn't he basically what was stopping you staying in the light for too long? And isn't this one of those worlds where it should limit your time?"

Riku almost stopped dead. He hadn't even thought of that. He hadn't even noticed the lack of the signs that normally told him he was running out of time.

"What an amazing thing," he murmured. "If you hadn't told me, it's entirely possible I'd have overlooked it entirely."

Another roar shook the castle.

"I wish it was possible for him to stop that," Roxas said fervently. "It's unnerving."

"You don't have a heart."

"No, but I gave mine up willingly to someone who could help it recover, and that means I maintain my ties to it. That's why I can still feel afraid, happy, all that sort of thing."

"DiZ would probably love to hear about this. He seemed interested in how the heart worked. Another time though."

"Your contact, I'm guessing."

"Who's there!" Beast's voice bellowed.

"Oh bugger," Riku muttered. "My name is Riku," he called out then. "My friend here is Roxas. We are not of the Organization, nor on its business. You met a friend of mine recently named Ansem, who asked me to check up on you."

The massive Beast stomped into view, his size letting him take the stairs three at a time easily. He glared at the two of them, curling one hairy fist behind him ready to strike. Roxas backed away, moving behind him.

"Oh, stop that. Just ask Belle, she'll tell you we're not your enemy. Like I said, Ansem asked me to see how you were doing, since he can't come here himself. Too light for him, or something like that. He wasn't all that clear about it."

"We don't need you snooping about the castle," Beast told him. "I can handle it myself."

"Glad to hear it, but we weren't snooping about." Riku paused and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry we turned up unannounced, but I've got a lot to do today, and I wouldn't be here at all except I owed Ansem a favour."

"Just tell him he was right and get out," he growled turning away.

"Beast!" Belle's voice said sternly. "That's no way to treat a guest remember." Then she turned to them and said, "Ansem was right – there was an Organization member here calling himself Xigbar, but he isn't here anymore. He faded away into the darkness. Not a portal," she added quickly. "I can tell the difference."

"That's all he needed to know. Thanks Belle. We'll be on our way now."

"Hold on a moment there Riku. It's been a while since I saw you last. Hollow Bastion, wasn't it?"

Riku stopped in turning, recalling the sight of the six princesses running from him as they woke. "Yeah. Things have changed since then," he said.

"And you," Belle went on, apparently ignoring this. "You must be Ventus. I heard about you from the others."

"Others?" he echoed. "What others?"

"Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora. You do remember them, don't you?"

"Oh – right. I almost forgot," Roxas laughed. "It's been a long while since then. Why mention them?"

"Because I've a request for you two. Between you, you know the worlds all the other princesses can be found on. I want you to check up on them and make sure they're alright. And you, Riku," she said, turning him to face her and giving him a look that showed she knew. "I want you to talk to that Ansem and make sure he checks the dark sides of the worlds too, in case they ended up in the same situation we did."

"Belle, the worlds I went to-" Roxas started.

"I know," she said. "They're in the darkness. But you've got coats just like those the Organization wear. You'll be safe for long enough, I hope. And if you find the princess, their light will keep you safe even after them. Will you do this for me?"

"I'll have to try and fit in around everything else," Riku cautioned. "We've both got loads to do, but we'll do our best. We'd better get moving though – we're already behind, and now we've found out what we needed..."

"Don't be afraid to stop by again, either of you. You're both welcome here – aren't they, Beast?" she asked with a hint of steel.

"Of course," he growled reluctantly. "Just... use the doors next time."

Once they were in the courtyard outside, Roxas stopped thoughtfully.

"Got an idea, Riku," he said after a moment. "Tell me where the worlds are – the ones for the other four princesses. I'll visit them, and you beat up Heartless enough for both of us – if you don't mind, of course."

"Three princesses," he said absently. "You already know where Kairi is, and you'll find Zexion there somewhere too – though keep that to yourself. The others... Jasmine came from Agrabah and Alice from Wonderland. Belle's the seventh one, so no need to visit her except to let her know when we've seen the rest."

"Right. I never went to those two worlds until recently, but I'll read up on them back at the castle and find them too."

"Who says I don't want to see them too, huh?"

"I saw your reaction back there, Riku. And I know what happened in Hollow Bastion too. Most of the others aren't going to be as understanding as Belle was, are they?"

"I wasn't completely involved in Alice's kidnapping, and Jasmine was unconscious – I actually appeared to be on her side before then."

"They ran from you as Hollow Bastion, Riku. They know what you did."

"Then this is the perfect opportunity for me to make amends for that, isn't it? We're going together Roxas, if nothing else because I can still order you to, and we'll handle the Heartless along the way."

"I'm not sure if I should disagree with you on principle or because you told me to be more rebellious," Roxas sighed. "Whatever, come along then. We're going to my three first though," he added. "I know where those worlds are. First time going to them with a dark corridor."

"Oh, get on with it."

"Yes, oh mighty leader," Roxas said, rolling his eyes skyward as he opened the corridor.

"Which worlds are they in, anyway?"

"Snow White from the Dwarf Woodlands, which is our first destination and also the first world I ever went to away from my home world, the Land of Departure – though you guys know it better by what Aqua turned it into, Castle Oblivion. There's something she hid there to protect it, but I can't tell you what – I made a promise not to tell."

"Interesting, but hardly relevent. The other two?"

"Cinderella I met in the Castle of Dreams, along with her little mouse friend Jaq. Wasn't entirely fun since for some reason I ended up the same size as him, and the cat her step-sisters had didn't make it any better. I hope we don't have to go through that again. I know, I know," he said quickly. "Don't need to remind me I'm rambling."

"Are you sure you didn't leave anything else with your heart?" Riku asked suspiciously.

Roxas punched his arm, "Hey! Cut that out. I just like to recall these things, 'kay? Anyway, Aurora... never met her awake, she was in Enchanted Dominion – Maleficent's home world, incidentally. Maleficent had tricked Terra into unlocking her heart so she could hide it away, and I ventured into her castle to unlock the barrier on it and return it to her."

"Finished reminiscing?"

"Look, it's been like... ten years since then alright? I don't get to talk about it much because outside of you, Axel and Zexion, everyone thinks I'm Sora's Nobody and not Ventus in hiding. To make it worse for me I haven't aged a day since because I'm a Nobody, which means I've been stuck at fourteen years old for ten years now. You don't know what it's like being stuck a teenager all that time. Everyone treats me like a child the whole time. That was why I was so moody when you turned up, and why I changed – you're about the same age as me, and you know the rest of them – all adults. It's nice to have someone my own age around again."

"Finished your little rant?" Riku asked with a faint smile.

"Yeah, I think so," he said after a moment. "I guess I never really had the chance to vent about it. Zexion's alright, but he tends to look up to me because I saved him from some Unversed, and Axel... well, I reckon he's trying to reclaim his old life. I hope we don't have to destroy him, he's a good friend."

"Look on the bright side. If this reappearing rebellious streak does what it's meant to, in a few days you'll be free from the Organization and on your way to getting your heart back. Then you'll finally be able to grow up again, and maybe we'll even find a way to bring Axel back to whoever he was before."

"Lea," he answered absently. "Along with his friend Isa, better known to us now as that scar-faced annoyance."

"Saïx? Saïx was Axel's friend back then?"

"Not that you'd notice the difference. Barely showed any feeling then. Colder than a frozen turkey, and not the best friend either. Lea and I got into a mock fight once, then when he lost he tried to call Isa for back up and Isa just made fun of him."

"Some friend."

"I know. Looks like we're here," he said, exiting the long corridor at last.

Riku looked about, trying to see through the darkness that blanketed this world, then spotted something familiar – a line of glowing green footsteps. He knew this world.


	38. Origins

Roxas looked over the world he'd identified as the Dwarf Woodlands with a mix of longing and regret, old memories coming back to him.

"I left my mark on this world," he said eventually, pointing to the green trails. "All I had was light at the time, so it didn't matter what I did, my mark always remained. You couldn't see it back then, but I guess since the world is in the darkness now, anyone can see it."

"There was a blue trail back in the woods," Riku said. "Snow White, I assume?"

"Right. I didn't know it back then, but she was one of the seven Princesses, and they're just as free of darkness as I was. She'll be here somewhere. We ought to look for her first."

"First? You think there's something else to find here?"

"Of course," Roxas replied, leading the way away from the caverns Riku had noticed on his first visit. "The world might be in the darkness, but thanks to your efforts at Hollow Bastion it's perfectly intact. That means the World Heart is intact, just struggling to emit enough light to bring it back into the light."

"I get it. We find the keyhole and lock it to keep the darkness from it, then it can take its place in the light again."

"That's the theory at least. I just wish I knew what to look for."

"The blue trail, or an aura of light. When I found Belle in the dark side of Beast's Castle, she radiated light. Just don't get us lost while looking."

Roxas gave him a meaningful look, then passed the cottage and headed straight for the woods.

"I remember here," he murmured. "This was where I first met her. She was running from some Unversed, and the trees here picked up on her fear and tried to scare her even more. I had to fight off the Unversed to get her to safety." He gave a short laugh then, "It was the first time I'd fought actual enemies. I'd trained for battle with Terra and Aqua, but it wasn't until here I got to put it to use."

"You had actual training? I just picked it up as I went along."

"It shows in your style," Roxas observed absently. "Your swings are a little wide and could use a bit more variation. Try taking a few ideas from me. Wish Terra was still around too though, he was the one who taught me the most after Master Eraqus."

"What happened to him?"

"I don't know exactly. Xemnas, and from what I gather Ansem, looked like him but with silver hair and a completely different attitude. Xemnas... well, I can hardly ask him, and I doubt Ansem would have been any different, so I don't know what happened. I'm sure he's involved somehow, but..."

"But without knowing more, you can't really tell," Riku finished. "And I thought I had it bad."

"Gimme a break, you're well on your way to having things half-decent. No Ansem, light and dark in balance and already plotting to take down the Organization. You don't have nearly as much to worry about as I ever did." Then as they emerged into a flower filled meadow, "Look there, at the castle – there's light coming from it."

"She must be hiding there. These Unversed..."

"Are no more. We just have to worry about Heartless, which is what we want anyway. I never went up there myself though – you can tell, no trails – so we'll have to figure things out."

"How about following that trail?" Riku suggested gesturing to a dusty red trail that was only just bright enough to see.

Roxas looked curiously, reaching for it as if it were something tangible, then exclaimed, "Terra! It has to be Terra! The trail is very old though... he must have been here before I got here, and his darkness is making it harder to see. I'm amazed it's still visible at all."

"You lead the way," Riku decided. "Then as long as we don't get any interruptions, maybe you can tell me exactly how you ended up without any darkness, and how your heart got so damaged you handed it over to someone else."

"It's a long story, Riku," Roxas warned.

"Don't you want to recall the old times?"

"No, I just thought you should know before I launched into it."

* * *

><p>The Land of Departure, now Castle Oblivion of course, was the first place I remember. I may have been somewhere else before then, but I don't remember. I was kinda special, being the only one of us – me, Terra and Aqua – to have two Masters training me. Master Eraqus handled most of it, with Terra supplementing my physical attacks, and Aqua helping hone my mind for magic.<p>

Once every month, every month without fail though, Master Xehanort would turn up and stay for a few days as guest. He and Eraqus had some agreement that during the times he was staying, I was his student instead.

Unlike the others, Xehanort taught me different things. He told me of other worlds at first, but stopped when he discovered that Eraqus absolutely refused to let me leave the Land of Departure – he could see the longing I had to go and see those worlds. Sometimes he'd take one of the others to see something outside, leaving the other to watch me. I always resented that.

After that, Xehanort took note and moved on to other things. The balance between light and darkness, the duty of Keyblade Masters to maintain that balance, about hearts and Heartless. He told me that Eraqus, as I already knew, thought in absolutes and believed there was no place for the darkness in the Greater World, while he knew that there had to be a balance – which was why he'd given himself over to the darkness. Someone had to offset Eraqus.

He may well have had ulterior motives, I can see that now. But I have to be honest; he prepared me far better for other worlds than Eraqus ever did. He knew someday I'd leave, and he knew if I wasn't prepared, the Greater World would destroy me ruthlessly, without any care for the consequences.

It was Xehanort that stripped my darkness from me – willingly, at that. It wasn't the nicest process to go through, but I felt it was necessary. Xehanort had told me that between worlds, the darkness would quickly get to anyone unwary or unprotected. Only a strong enough light would hold it at bay without being smothered by it. In my innocence, I believed that it would best serve me if I had just that, overlooking a key lesson by Eraqus that a strong enough light, just like the Keyblades, would call to the creatures within the darkness – the Heartless.

The Heartless back then were far fewer in number, and there was no such thing as an Emblem Heartless, but they were present. I asked Xehanort to show me the few varieties he could find and bring safely to the Land of Departure so I could learn to defeat them – not that either of us told Eraqus.

The process created something else though – the darkness he'd taken from me had to go somewhere. In a way, it was much like the creation of a Nobody – my heart was split in two, one part light the other darkness, and the dark part took a part of the rest of me to give it a form. What was created looked a lot like Sora does actually, but he was unrelated to Sora.

Xehanort named my dark counterpart Vanitas, warning me that he and I could not both train under the same Master at the same time. None of us wanted to tell Eraqus what we'd done, so Xehanort only trained Vanitas when he was away from the Land of Departure, and when he came to train me Vanitas kept his distance.

My heart suffered because of this, of course, but Xehanort had shown me the way to survive it. Whenever you form a close tie with another, your heart and theirs create a kind of... imprint on each other, a mark of the relationship. Terra, Aqua, Eraqus, even Xehanort all held such an imprint, and I reached out to that, using it to keep my heart from shattering. In a way, I guess you could say I used their hearts to stop me becoming the first Nobody.

I didn't see Vanitas for more than a few fleeting moments on any of the following visits. For a long time I carried on the same way I had, with no one the wiser to what had happened. Eraqus seemed to know that something had happened, but he chose not to pursue it.

Then about a year after I'd been split into light and dark halves, things changed. Terra and Aqua got to take their Mark of Mastery exam – the test that turns an aspiring Keyblade wielder into a Master. I didn't get invited to join them because Eraqus knew I'd use it as a chance and reason to leave the world and see what was out there. I'd have a duty to do as a Master, and I couldn't do that locked up in one world.

Xehanort showed up specially to observe the test. I said nothing as I watched, but I could feel him do something with his darkness, and it resonated with some trace darkness in Terra. Knowing Eraqus and his belief in absolutes, he chose not to pass Terra because of it. Only Aqua became a master.

He took Aqua aside to learn about her new duties, while Xehanort took a walk with Terra – I don't know what they talked about, but I guess with his own darkness, Xehanort must have used it as common ground.

That left me on my own, at least until Vanitas tracked me down. He told me Xehanort had rigged it on purpose, because creatures had appeared in other worlds – the Unversed – and Xehanort wanted me to get some practical experience. Eraqus of course would never allow it, so while the two, now three, Masters were occupied, I had to make good my escape.

Vanitas quickly filled me in on something I knew about, but had never done on my own – as a student of Eraqus, he'd given us all a small, magical piece of armour that when activated would cover all of us and also allow us to change our Keyblades into a glider, a means of travelling between worlds. Under his quick guidance I did just that for the first time, then left the Land of Departure.

Terra and Aqua, at Eraqus' request, tried to track me down and take me back. Terra had other things he was trying to do, my guess is through whatever Xehanort had talked to him about, and Aqua was trying to keep an eye on him while also tracking me down.

I didn't learn about that until later. I had only two things on my mind – seeing other worlds for the first time, and even though no one had named me a Keyblade Master, preserving the balance. Just as Xehanort balanced out Eraqus, Vanitas balanced out me, but everywhere out there I saw people who blurred the lines, I saw Unversed and occasional Heartless that tried to upset the balance in favour of the darkness. I did whatever I could to restore the balance, all the while maintaining the world order – worlds weren't meant to know there were other worlds out there.

A lot later on, I found out Xehanort had been manipulating both me and Terra. Terra was turning much too close to the darkness, and I couldn't see any balance to it. I on the other hand was doing exactly what he wanted, without even realising it. As long as I was out there getting involved I was learning, growing, getting stronger. Vanitas was doing the same, but under careful regulation from Xehanort because he wanted the two of us to be equal in power.

That regulation was what cost Xehanort. Vanitas often had nothing to do because he had to wait for me to grow stronger – it was easy for him to be too strong because he just had to pull more darkness in. It was because of that, Vanitas took the chance to find me and fill me in on what Xehanort was planning for the two of us.

I knew from Xehanort's lessons that the hearts of worlds were in part formed from the hearts of all those within that world, and that similarly, the heart of all worlds – Kingdom Hearts – was formed similarly from the hearts of each world. It was sealed away though, ordinarily only reachable through either the Door to Darkness or the Door to Light – the only sure gateway from one side to the other, at least until you locked the Door to Darkness. No one knows where the Door to Light is.

Vanitas told me Xehanort had found a way to force Kingdom Hearts to come to him though. All he needed was for Vanitas and me to fight, and the resulting battle would forge a weapon that all Keyblades are just pale shadows of. Whichever of us managed to beat the other would have command over that blade, and Vanitas fully intended to be that one.

Here there was some disunity though. Xehanort wanted to use Vanitas to call Kingdom Hearts, then use it himself. Vanitas had similar ideas, but without cutting Xehanort in. I decided no matter what the cost, I had to prevent that. I may end up with the weapon, but I would not use it. So I searched for a way to get around it.

Then I met a scientist known as Ansem the Wise, who was very interested in me because of my heart of pure light. He agreed to help me, in return for studying the mysteries of my heart. We came to the conclusion that the key part of the equation was the careful balance between Vanitas and me. If some part of me reduced my power, Vanitas would have to restrain himself – not easy with the darkness. It would put him at a disadvantage. Ansem's idea, though he thought it impossible, was to remove the most important part of any complete being, and keep it somewhere safe.

There's a simple way of doing that. It was a simple idea, and it was Eraqus who told me that sometimes the simple ideas are the ones that work best. I found someone I trusted – Peter Pan, obviously – told him I needed someone to protect my heart, and asked him to be that one.

Hearts might be unpredictable, but they also respond to agreements made about them. The moment Pan agreed, my heart left me and hid within his own, but it did not go entirely as planned. Having been stripped completely of darkness had weakened it. It was able to shoo the darkness away, but it was still fragile. The process of giving Pan my heart shattered it, many of the pieces lost entirely before it reached the safety of another heart, and I felt that loss keenly. If there was a way to restore the lost pieces, no one knew what it was because as far as we knew, even what I had just done was impossible.

Ansem was right though – in freeing myself of my heart and becoming the very first Nobody ever to exist, Vanitas had to hold back and I took full advantage of that. I was the one left holding the legendary blade, and I was the one that looked out over they Keyblade Graveyard, worn out from the fight but victorious, only to taste bitter defeat as I saw that my friends, Terra and Aqua, were no longer there. They had joined me there before any fighting started, before Xehanort and Vanitas showed up, but something had happened during the chaos that meant they'd disappeared.

I went looking for them, of course. My armour I quickly found did not respond to me without my heart, but my glider still worked. As my heart was safe elsewhere, I found I was safe from the darkness, not needing any armour to get around.

I still don't know to this day what happened to Terra, but I found Aqua in Radiant Garden, now Hollow Bastion. She was also looking for Terra, but she was surprised to see me. She had learned what I'd done from Ansem, and she had also learned what the great blade I held was. It was that blade, the X-blade she told me it was called, that she sealed away within Castle Oblivion, because it was too dangerous to try to destroy it, then she returned to searching for Terra.

This time I did not join her. I had to lay low, because without my heart if anything happened to me I'd be destroyed, gone for good with nothing for my heart to return to. It wasn't until the Organization found me in Twilight Town and mistook me for Sora's Nobody that I was able to do anything again, and then only because our coats afford me some of the protection I needed and a means of getting about that no one would recognise – the dark corridors.

* * *

><p>"I didn't and still don't agree with what the Organization is doing, but what choice do I have?" Roxas concluded eventually. "They think I'm someone else, and in playing that part I have to appear to want the same thing they do."<p>

"Then I came on the scene and changed that," Riku said.

"Right. With you around... maybe I can start to put things right. I can find Terra and Aqua again, find out what happened to Xehanort... and maybe even retrieve my heart."


	39. Riddle Rhymes

The castle's passageways were lit with torches and candles, but against the oppressive darkness they may as well have been extinguished. Only the faint trails of Terra's long past visit guided them along the winding path that led eventually to the only room in the castle lit up – a throne room clearly, though without a throne. On the back wall there was a mirror, but instead of simply reflecting what could be seen, it showed an empty mask.

"Hark my liege," it spoke as the two of them entered. "They come as foretold. Their identities in light, the dark withholds. Shine thy light upon them both, that you may see them within its truth."

Riku stopped – a mirror that talked by itself definitely stood out as unusual. Roxas however stood forward without concern. "Snow White? Are you here? It's me, Ventus, remember?"

"Of course she's here," Riku sighed. "I told you the princesses have an aura of light, and we've got that aura plainly visible here. You should remember me too," he added. "You did sort of run from me at Hollow Bastion."

"Riku?" a small voice asked. "You're not going to take me back are you?"

"Of course not. I've changed since then."

"And even if he was going to, I'd never let him," Roxas added. "Belle asked us to drop by and check up on you."

At last Snow White emerged, coming out from behind a supporting pillar. The light grew brighter as she did so, but Riku found it no longer stabbed so painfully at him as it had before he'd rid himself of Ansem. She hesitated for a moment, then ran to Roxas and hugged him.

"Hey, easy there," he protested mildly.

"Sorry. It's just been so long since I saw anyone. There's no one here but those horrible Heartless creatures."

"Heartless?" Riku asked. "Where exactly?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "They pop up all over the place. I've been able to protect this room, but outside..."

"Inconvenient. If I could command a few of them, we'd be able to find the world's heart quicker."

"World Heart?" she exclaimed. "I can't let you near that!"

"Relax," Roxas reassured her. "We only need to find it so we can find the keyhole. If we find that, we can lock it and push the darkness out."

Snow White wasn't entirely convinced. She turned to the mirror and said, "Mirror, mirror on the wall, are these words truthful all?"

The mask in the mirror responded instantly, "In all save one, oh fairest one. The Keyhole and heart rest away, lest the Heartless steal the heart away."

"Now that's interesting," Riku remarked. "Can you tell me where the Keyhole is?"

The mirror didn't respond.

"You have to address it properly," Snow White told him. "In verse or rhyme, just like its responses."

"Poetry isn't my best point," he grumbled, thinking up a way to couch his query, then, "Magic Mirror, tell me then, where the Keyhole makes its den."

"Den?" Roxas asked with some disbelief. "That's the best you could come up with?"

But the Mirror was already answering, "Beyond the castle where the water flows, seek the shape within the rose. But beware ye caught within the shadows, for danger lurks within the meadows."

"The meadow where I met Terra," Snow White identified the place. "I remember now – there's a design made out of red roses just like a keyhole."

"The shadows must mean me then," Riku decided. "Between light and dark – that's me."

"What about the danger?" Roxas said. "If something's waiting for you there..."

"I've probably faced worse than whatever is waiting for me," he shrugged. "Are you coming, or did you want to stay with the princess?"

"I'll be fine," Snow White assured them. "I'm safe as long as I stay in here. You two go ahead, just be careful!"

"Don't worry. We'll even come by and see you once we're done if it'll set your mind at ease."

"I wonder if it'd be safe to take a corridor back," Riku mused.

"Not if there's something waiting," Roxas replied. "Stop being lazy and start moving."

"Hey! I'm meant to be the one giving you orders!"

* * *

><p>The flower meadows were oddly deserted given the warning the mirror had seen fit to give them. It remained as peaceful and devoid of activity as when they'd first past through, the only sound coming from the bubbling creek running through.<p>

There were several kinds of flowers, but the roses stood out among them, easily forming the shape of the Keyhole, just as they'd been told. Within the shape was a pool of darkness, moving and shifting of its own accord.

It was still a keyhole shape, so perhaps his Keyblade would do something to it, Riku reasoned. He summoned they Keyblade, only for the darkness to shoot out at almost blinding speed and take it from him, then start to bubble and rise up, forming into something. First it appeared to be only vaguely humanoid, then it started to look like some of the Pureblood Heartless he'd seen. Finally it started to settle, still completely black but holding itself and the Keyblade exactly as he always had when preparing for battle, ever since he'd arrived in Traverse Town, Keyblade poised high.

"A Heartless that mimics the greatest threat, perhaps?" Roxas suggested.

"It's not a Heartless," Riku replied, already reaching out to the darkness in it. "It's similar, but it's not Heartless. There's a mind at work there."

"But Nobodies are white," he protested. "Unless they're as complete as me, that is."

"_En garde,_" the dark mimic growled. "I would test you."

"Stay out of this Roxas," Riku warned calmly, taking out Soul Eater. "This is my fight."

"But-"

"Do as I say, and the first chance you get, lock the Keyhole!" he barked. "And as for you... show me what you've got, fake."

The mimic lunged, but Riku suspected this would be its opening move. It was mimicking him, therefore it was predictable. He sidestepped the attack, swiping Soul Eater back behind him to catch the mimic full in the chest as it passed. It turned quickly to strike again but pause, sending a dark fireball at Roxas as he started to level his own Keyblade at the Keyhole, then placed itself back between them and it.

Riku went on the offensive, knowing it would match his defences just as it matched his attacks. All he had to do was listen to Roxas's advice and vary his attacks to throw the unknown at the mimic, starting by copying the odd backhand hold Roxas always used. It made attacking more awkward, but he was able to hold off the mimic until he got used to it.

The mimic couldn't adequately defend itself against these new tactics, Soul Eater cutting into its substance often. It flinched back from each blow, but held firm and would not give up any ground. Even concentrating entirely on trying to block Riku's attacks it struggled.

Then he had another inspiration, bashing the Keyblade aside to headbutt the mimic, sending it reeling back. As soon as his own head had stopped ringing he lunged low, not with Soul Eater but with his body, tackling the mimic to the ground.

"Now, Roxas!" he commanded.

Light lit up the meadow as his Keyblade gathered it together.

"No!" the mimic cried, trying to shake Riku off. He simply dismissed Soul Eater, wrenched his Keyblade back out of the mimic's hand, then hit it round the head with it.

"Shut up!" Riku told it, glancing back to the light now being shot into the Keyhole. It lit up brightly, the outline of it no longer just marked by the roses, then a great light shot upward out of it. The darkness covering the world was pushed back.

As it receded the dark mimic changed again. No longer was it just a black mimic of him, but a full colour identical copy of him, just without the coat. It kept on changing though, becoming identical to Sora, then said, "I see. Better with you than against you. Now go get my heart before I change my mind."

Then it faded back into a shadow, sinking into his own shadow. He felt no different, but it shook him.

"What did he say?" Roxas asked, joining him to help him back up.

"Nothing," Riku replied. "Just complaining about being defeated. I'll let you check on the other princesses. There's... something else I want to do. Don't forget to go after the Heartless, and when you're done come find me in Twilight Town before you head back to the castle."

"You sure about this? You look kinda pale."

"It's not important right now. I'll come with you to check in with Snow White first, then I'll leave you to handle this."

"Whatever you say," Roxas said. "You do know you can trust me, don't you?"

"This has nothing to do with trust Roxas. It's just something I'm not sure if I want anyone else know just yet. Kairi knows, and I think Maleficent did too before Sora defeated her, but otherwise..."

"I guess even you've got a skeleton or two in the closet," Roxas shrugged, opening a corridor to take them back.

Riku said nothing on the way back. It had been Sora, but how? Sora was a part of him. A part with a heart missing, kept safe by a Replica of him, to be sure, but nevertheless a part of him. Why would he try to prevent the Keyhole from being locked, or fight so defensively? He shouldn't have given up that easily, new tactics or not.

He also had another question to put to the Magic Mirror – if he could figure out a way to phrase it. The rhyming requirement it seemed to demand was inconvenient.

When they returned, Roxas immediately told her what had happened, while Riku went to the mirror and continued to try to formulate his question.

"Oh ye of two hearts," the mirror spoke quietly and unexpectedly. "Know that it matters not that your vessel is not true, for truth lies in your hearts. Along your path the old waits for you to meet, but restoring it is not what you should seek. Strike it down with all your might, lest all be lost to the night."

Riku thought about that. It didn't help much, and it didn't make much sense.

"Magic Mirror in your reaction, tell what is my best course of action," he said to the Mirror.

"Wait until the the heart is restored, before your heart you choose to restore," it answered, then tilted forward as if nodding toward something. Riku followed its gesture back into the room where Snow White and Roxas were still talking.

"I think I understand that one," he murmured. "Wait for Roxas to return to being Ventus, then get Sora's heart back. But Sora said... no, he can wait. His heart is safe for now. I can retrieve it when the time is right."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Don't worry if you haven't figured out what the Magic Mirror is trying to tell him in its unexpected speech to Riku. The hints of what its talking about have only cropped up a few times so far, and no one's yet made the connections in-story. It'll become clear in it's own time.

Also, I hate that mirror - if nothing else for its habit of rhymes. That's all.


	40. Plans Aplenty

Riku exited in Twilight Town as close to the mansion as he could, not wanting to waste any time. He had a plan forming, but it needed more details – some he needed from DiZ, others from his first actual meeting with the mysterious Naminé, and some few from the Organization itself.

Again his other heart tugged at him as soon as he entered the mansion, the intangible sign that the Sora Replica was here. A brief check into the lounge told him that DiZ was not there. The only other doors in the mansion were on the upper level. One led to a brightly lit white room with hand-drawn pictures scattered across the table and walls, but still no DiZ.

The door at the other end however led him to what at first glance appeared to be a library. Part of the floor was missing though, revealing a metallic room below. Perhaps the collapsed doorway in the entrance hall had been made so deliberately to conceal this lab-like area.

He let Sora's heart guide him through the passageways, into a room with a computer humming away on one side, left unattended. He glanced over the screens, but none of the data being displayed showed anything relevent.

The steady pull of the heart grew stronger, guiding him through another almost empty room that appeared to be for storage, then into a short corridor with pods down one side, looking like the buds of flowers before they bloomed. Floating inside two of them in peaceful sleep were Donald and Goofy.

Round a corner and through another door and he was in a larger white room, the walls barely visible. A young girl in white who resembled Kairi stood before a larger pod, similar to those outside. Inside it floated the familiar sight of Sora, the source of the heart yearning to be reunited with him.

"That's the Sora I know," he said, more to let the girl – Naminé, no doubt – know he was there. "Always goofing off and leaving everything up to me."

"Riku. I wondered when I'd get to meet you," she greeted him.

"About time, huh? I understand you're putting his memories back together again?"

"Yes. I'm responsible for altering them in Castle Oblivion. They wanted me to change his memories and make him work for them, but he destroyed them and freed me from them. Then DiZ found me and brought us all here."

As Riku approached the pod the pull felt almost so strong he felt it would drag him to the pod – or the heart would release itself to be returned. Neither happened, though the latter he admitted would have been useful.

"How long will it take you to finish?" he asked quietly, as if he would disturb Sora's sleep. Not that he could, Sora was a sound sleeper.

"Two days, maybe three," Naminé replied. "A little more if you want him to know his nature."

Riku considered it. Roxas's story had opened up another avenue for him, one that would restore his heart and leave the Replica intact, whereas using the Keyblade of People's Hearts would undoubtedly lose him the Replica. If it knew what it was and it looked like Sora, perhaps he could make use of that.

"Go ahead and do it," he said eventually. "Let DiZ know I told you to if you need."

"I hardly think that will be necessary," DiZ said, silently stepping up beside him. "My apologies for not being here to meet you, Riku. I must still acquire supplies from time to time. I'm curious though – what do you have in mind that requires him to know he is but a Replica?"

"It's an idea I've got forming. It needs his cooperation, so it still depends on his choice when he wakes up, but it'll give him a purpose once I've got my other heart back."

"And you know how to retrieve it?"

"Two ways. One, I use the Keyblade Ansem created for me at Hollow Bastion, which I lent to him. That's the first reason I need him awake. If I do that, he'll disappear – possibly destroyed, possibly sent somewhere else, I don't know."

"And the other way?"

"You should know it already – you gave Ventus the idea for it originally. You told him to overcome someone named Vanitas, he needed to weaken himself."

"I recall that discussion, yes," DiZ nodded, but seemed puzzled. "I believed he could best do that be losing his heart, but I don't believe we ever discovered a way to do so."

"He did though. He found out that hearts respect agreements made about them. When he asked another to protect his heart for him, his heart respected that and took shelter within the heart of that other individual."

"So if Sora agrees, you could get your heart back without needing that Keyblade," Naminé finished. "And he'd be left without a purpose... unless you gave him one."

"Exactly," Riku agreed. "But what I have in mind will work best if he knows he's a Replica."

"The result is worth the delay then, I think," DiZ said. "Three days then, Naminé?"

"Make it four," she decided. "Just to be certain. I don't want to rush and make a mistake. Does that work for you, Riku?"

"Perfectly. Now I need to know something from you, DiZ. The tracker you said the Organization have on Sora – can you duplicate it?"

"Me?" he asked with some surprise. "Certainly, if I had the time to learn more about it, but if you plan to awaken Sora in four days time I cannot do as much. Surely you could better learn about it from your position within the Organization?"

"And attract unwanted attention," Riku shook his head. "I'm on a fine line here, DiZ. The Organization don't suspect me, but if I start doing things that seem strange to them, that'll change quickly."

"Why do you need to replicate the tracker? To throw them off when he awakens?"

"Right. I need to give them a distraction, something they'll focus on instead so they'll be too busy with that to come and find Sora, giving us the time we need to deal with his heart."

DiZ tapped his chin thoughtfully, staring at the comatose Sora Replica for a time. "The device is relatively simple, that much I can tell you. Likely it is similarly so for the receivers. If you could tune a similar tracker to the same frequency as Sora's... ah, but we would still need something or someone to attach it to."

"Roxas," Riku suggested. "Only set it to trigger when he retrieves his own heart, something I'll set him on course to do soon. If I time that to coincide with our plans four days hence-"

"The Organization will rush off thinking Sora has awakened, giving us a window of opportunity," DiZ finished. "I am glad you scheme for me, Riku. I only hope you can pull this off. You are the only one who can carry out this plan."

"No worries there," he smiled. "I have a plan forming that will handle it nicely. I told Roxas to start acting rebelliously again. I just suggest to Saïx that maybe we need to keep an eye on him, guide him into thinking putting a tracker on him is his idea and to have him order me to handle it."

"And you can do that?"

"I've been manipulating the Organization for ages now. They've no idea just what I've got up to so far, thinking me completely loyal. It shouldn't be too hard. Leave it in my hands, DiZ."

"I hope your confidence is not misplaced."

"Trust me," Riku replied. "And if not me, then him," he pointed to Sora. "I better get going before I'm missed. I still have things I'm supposed to be doing."

* * *

><p>Riku waited for Roxas at the top of Twilight Town's clock tower, far removed from the people below. Some few noticed him, but they continued their deliberate campaign to ignore anyone in a black coat, so long as they didn't interfere with anything.<p>

It was not Roxas but Axel who found him first.

"Well this is unexpected," Axel observed. "Roxas tell you about our meeting spot, did he?"

"What? No, I just decided here was a better place to wait for him. He's running a little errand for me before we get on with today's heart collection. Why, what are you meeting him here for?"

"We always come here and meet up," Axel replied, taking a seat on the edge of the tower. "It's a peaceful place, we get to talk freely and we're in good company. Always know when someone else is around too, so we'll know if someone tries to listen in."

"That explains why you never mentioned it. Don't get too surprised by the change in attitude he might display soon, by the way. I told him I need him to be a rebel again."

"You... actually want him to be like that again?"

"Of course. It's a prelude to him leaving the Organization. They'll have to depend on me, a certain contact of mine gets someone he needs, I get something I need... works for everyone who doesn't mind losing him."

"Saïx isn't going to like that."

"He doesn't have to. All he needs to do is switch over to using me instead of Roxas."

"Someone say m'name?" Roxas asked, rounding the corner to join them. "Been to see them all, by the way. Kairi too. They're all fine, all three of my worlds got put back in the light. Kairi said to let you know Zexion is safe as long as the Organization doesn't go there, but not to hold hopes for anyone else. Looks like you'll have to find somewhere else to lie low, Axel."

"Nah. I'll muddle through like always. You boys going off on heart collection now then?"

"Don't need to," Roxas shrugged. "Found enough of the little buggers while I was about to cover them both. And," he added reaching for a pocket. "I picked us all up ice cream. You're gonna join us, right?" he asked Riku, handing one over.

"How can I say no when you've already given me one?" Riku chuckled.

* * *

><p>As was his habit, Riku checked in with Saïx that evening. He was clearly in much better form now, having spread his work out on a longer table.<p>

"It forces me to walk about," he told Riku. "I'm told it's vital to the recovery process, and since I'm almost fully recovered it's no trouble. What happened today?"

"Roxas and I handled the Heartless, of course. I heard back from Luxord too. He's still looking into things, but he reckons the reason Traverse Town vanished is something to do with the worlds lost to the darkness – or the lack thereof."

"Interesting. And Xigbar?"

"I went to check up on him this morning. There's no sign of him anywhere in the Beast's Castle. Either he found some reason to be somewhere else, or he fell foul of the Beast. There's word from Demyx and Xaldin too – or Xaldin at least. He claims to have seen our saboteur in Dark City, and also claims it was Sora."

"Impossible," Saïx asserted. "We attached a tracker to him while he was in Castle Oblivion. It would be triggered if he was awake."

"Either it isn't working, or Xaldin is lying then. Unless you've got other plans, I'll chase him and Demyx up tomorrow."

"Do so. Leave the other missions to me. I will resume my place in the Grey Area starting tomorrow."

"There's one other thing. Roxas is backsliding. You remember what he was like when I got here?"

"Hard to forget. Any idea why this resurgence has taken place?"

"Not yet. I didn't push him in case he decided to turn on me again. Might be worth keeping an eye on him. Surreptitiously – maybe with the same kind of tracker you put on Sora."

"Possibly. I'll consider it when I see this for myself. Go to bed Riku, and enjoy a lie in now you no longer have to be up early."


	41. Death from Above!

Contrary to Saïx's advice, Riku did not lie in. This was due in no small part to the habitual early riser he'd become lately, but also because he had plans that did involve Xaldin and Demyx – but did not involve chasing them up. Getting chased by them, or perhaps chasing them depending on which of them he found, but not as himself.

Almost before he'd risen in the first place he restored his appearance as Sora, growing used to seeing and hearing Sora again. It had been a while, after all. All the while he worked to figure out the story that 'Sora' would have. Why he hadn't triggered their tracker, how he'd taken action in Castle Oblivion separate of the Replica, and any other loose ends that might crop up. He had to make it at least partly believable because he planned on turning it over to the Replica once he'd been awakened – if he cooperated, that was.

Xaldin's search of Dark City had moved on from what he could easily see from his window, but the Heartless still occupied the area. It was a simple matter to reach out to a few of them and have them seek him out. It came back in short order, he was with Demyx on the southernmost edge of Dark City.

The corridor he took did not take him to the same area. They would recognise the sound of a corridor, and he didn't want to be noticed. Not yet, anyway. It took him only a few minutes to find them on foot, stood at the very edge of the city limits where it simply cut off. One moment there was city, the next all buildings, all roads and paths just ceased. At some point in the past someone had added a long metal railing along the edge to prevent any accidents.

"Hey, I don't want to find him," Demyx was protesting as he drew close. "He took out at least two up at CO, remember. No way I'm getting in _his_ way."

"Don't be absurd," Xaldin snapped. "I suspect he'll just talk his way out of any encounter like he did last time."

Riku picked a nearby building, taking care to make no sound at all as he moved to lean against it. The two Nobodies were staring into the empty void beyond as they talked.

"And what if he doesn't, huh? You want to be the one to go to Riku and tell him you got me terminated too?"

"I watched him, Demyx. He didn't seem inclined to attack anything. He only fought the Heartless when they got too close to him, otherwise he ignored everything. He's looking for something, and he isn't going to let petty distractions like Heartless or Nobodies slow him down."

"Sounds about right to me," Riku said then.

The two Nobodies froze. Demyx turned and backed away slightly, while Xaldin put on the appearance of untroubled calm as he faced him.

"How long have you been there, Sora?" he asked.

"Long enough. I figured it had been a while since you caught sight of me, so I'd drop in, say hi. You know, as you do for friends."

"Hey, you didn't tell me you were friends," Demyx cut in.

"We aren't," Xaldin replied shortly.

Riku couldn't resist taking another jab at the humourless Nobody. "Aw, come on Xaldin. We were getting along so well last time. Surely you're not just going to turn a cold shoulder on me."

"What do you want, Sora?" he demanded testily.

"Same thing I wanted last time. I just got bored of looking for it. I don't really have any deadline to meet, so taking some time out to drop in on my friends isn't a bother."

"We are _not_ friends!"

"Temper, temper," he chided. "You really should work on that you know. Shouting at me tends to be rather... terminal."

"You're threatening me now?"

"Oh, don't be silly. If I had anything against you, you wouldn't still be here to notice it. Since you're not going to play nice though... well, I'll leave you to cool off. Haven't searched this part of the city yet anyway, so if you change your mind and decide to hang out, I'll still be in the area."

As he left a lance was thrown his way, narrowly missing him to impale a passing Shadow Heartless before embedding itself in the ground.

"Always nice talking at you, Xaldin," he called back, not stopping.

"Why you – don't just stand there, Demyx, after him!"

"Wha- Me? Are you kidding?" Demyx protested.

"Move, or I'll deal with you myself!" Xaldin roared.

Riku concealed a smile and broke into a run, reaching ahead with the darkness to marshall the local Heartless and have them get in their way. A few reached for him, but while he appeared to be Sora they sensed the apparent lack of a heart and not his own one, passing him up for the two he was commanding them to go after. It was an interesting effect, one he'd have to remember – at least until he woke up the Replica.

After another lance came uncomfortably close to him, he picked several of the quicker Heartless and used them as a shield, making it harder for Xaldin to decorate his back with one of them. To further irritate them he added a collection of Heartless that were like plants down the side streets, each of them spitting seeds – or in some cases fire and ice – at them.

Then as he caught the sense of a specific kind of Heartless, he realised there was something he could do that would not only help him, but take Xaldin as close to outright fury as was conceivably possible without a heart.

The Heartless he'd found was, the darkness told him, a Windstorm, one of a family of various airbourne Heartless. This one was perfect, being aligned with and therefore largely immune to the wind element that was Xaldin's speciality. He reached out to it and directed it through the city to him, all the while continuing to keep the other Heartless between him and them as their castle grew above the skyline ahead.

When it soared on to the same wide street they were racing down, he had it breath out small tornadoes at the following duo, though Xaldin easily countered these. It soared overhead, losing height until it was on just the right level. Once it was close enough Riku leapt up and took hold of the claw-like feet, startling it.

"Oh, quit," he told it. "Just cooperate with me for a time and I'll leave you alone afterwards. Now swing your tail toward me so I can climb up."

It reluctantly obliged. The Heartless he noted might not have minds to think with, but they definitely had a personality of sorts, and this one did not like how he was using it. Once he'd scrambled up he guided it back around to face the Nobodies, who were still fighting their way through the amassed Heartless. From their point of view it was almost a shame he or Roxas weren't with them – it would have given them a massive influx of hearts.

"Tell you what," Riku said to the Windstorm. "That tall one with the black hair pretty much ignored your attacks earlier. Wouldn't you like to get revenge on him and do me a favour at the same time? Pick him up and we'll find a place in the city to drop him that'll _really_ do him some harm. What do you say?"

The Windstorm didn't answer back, except to give a screech that his ears wished it hadn't, then it dived back down once again, claws outstretched almost eagerly. Demyx, noticing their approach before Xaldin did, quickly stopped, turned and ran down a side street, completely ignoring the Heartless that still waited there. In moments he was out of any danger from them, leaving only their target in their sights.

Xaldin didn't seem inclined to notice, busily handling the Heartless threatening to surround him. Riku nudged them into laying off – he didn't want them to deprive the Windstorm of its vengeance, after all. By the time he did notice it was too late, the Windstorm gliding in just above him, grasping him by the shoulders and easily gaining height again afterwards.

"And now, for the once in a lifetime tour of Dark City from the air," Riku called down. "Enjoy it, because it's the last thing you're gonna see!"

"You do this Sora and the Organization will come after you!" Xaldin shouted up.

"If you're the best they have to offer, I don't see that as much of a problem!" Then quieter, to the Windstorm. "Up higher. I need to see the city from above. And if you happen to know where the hearts come into the city, take me there."

It shuddered back underneath him, still not liking its new commander, but obliged by leaning over to turn sharply, almost all the way past the castle itself. If the new portal was actually inside the castle it could be a problem.

The Windstorm was not orienting on it however, but on something somewhere behind it. As they passed the Altar of Naught, where Demyx had managed to rouse Roxas and Xemnas, he treated them to Sora's favourite smirk, idly wondering if anyone had tried to find him too, and what they must have thought when they found he wasn't there.

From above the city did not seem all that different, he noticed. They passed the wreckage of the original portal, the site of the portal itself still ablaze with a strangely purple fire that gave out no smoke at all. Once he spotted a place that looked like it could have been another of the backup portals, quickly memorising its location in case he had to sabotage it too.

All the while Xaldin struggled below, throwing all kinds of threats and insults back up at him which he ignored. Finally the Windstorm appeared to find the destination, circling around it with another screech, looking back to him.

"Don't do it, Sora!" Xaldin shouted up. "You said you don't have a heart. We can solve that for you!"

"Sorry – old habits, you know," Riku answered. "Just drop him down into the portal would you?" he asked the Windstorm. "If it doesn't get rid of him, I'll go after him and finish him off for you."

It was only too happy to oblige, circling once more to get in position, then as it flew overhead it let go and dropped Xaldin. He and the Windstorm both watched as he fell, trying to control the wind enough to save himself, but the Windstorm took action to counter that without prompting. He managed to create a dark corridor, but by the time it had opened he'd already fallen past the opening.

He didn't hit the portal below, which like the former one appeared to shimmer into showing various locations. Instead he passed through it, disturbing the liquid-like surface of it. As it started to settle, it became clear he had not arrived at any of the places it was showing, most likely destroyed in passing through. Disappointingly, the portal itself remained perfectly intact. He memorised its location too, then nudged the Windstorm back down into the city so he could disembark and let it go its own way.

Once he was back on the ground again he quickly forced his appearance back to his own, opening a corridor back to his room, humming tunelessly to himself on the way back.

"Sometimes you just know it's going to be a good day," he murmured contently to no one in particular. "And sometimes you have to make a good day happen."


	42. Preparations and Messages

Riku joined them at the Altar of Naught, by now populated by all surviving members of the Organization. Though Axel watched Saïx now he was back on his feet, he appeared once again to be usual self.

"Where were you man?" Demyx asked as he appeared. "Looked in your room and everything, but you weren't there!"

"I was in the city below," Riku explained. "I saw most of what happened. I'd have come to help you, but I got caught up in a sudden surge of Pureblood Heartless. Xaldin?"

"Last seen descending into the currently active portal," Saïx answered. "There's no way to tell what happened to him from here."

"Sora is starting to become inconvenient," Xemnas said, apparently musing to himself. "But the question still remains... how did he slip past your tracker, Saïx?"

"Investigations are underway," he replied. "I'll step them up immediately."

"Sora could be a powerful ally if he would just work with us."

"I wouldn't count on it," Riku said. "I know him. He's impulsive, driven by his sense of right and wrong. Likely he sees what we're doing as wrong, so he's decided to act against us. He's stubborn enough that all the persuasion in the world won't be enough to change his mind."

"He said he was looking for something," Demyx said. "I was talking with Xaldin this morning and he reckoned that Sora isn't actually against us, he's just not afraid to get rid of anyone or anything stupid enough to get in his way."

"But what's he looking for?" Axel asked.

"If we knew that, we wouldn't be here debating what to do with him," Saïx answered. "You needn't worry about me. I'm fine now."

"Doctor's orders," he said absently. "So what now, boss?"

"We continue as we always have," Xemnas said. "And we look to the skies for renewed resolve. Behold, Roxas and Riku – the fruit of your labours at last shines high in our skies."

As he spoke a part of the darkened sky started to light up in heart shape, small yet, but undoubtedly what would become Kingdom Hearts.

"It's about time," Roxas muttered. "Working my ass off for that thing, and it's only now it shows up?"

"Its thirst for hearts is not so easily slaked, Roxas," Saïx told him. "It has taken uncountable hearts just to give it enough power to become visible."

"You don't say!" Roxas replied. "Maybe it has something to do with the fact that no one told me how long it'd take, or if you were even using them the right way? You know, your habit of not telling me anything?"

"We tell you what you need to know," he said reprovingly. "And it was not needful for you to know."

"Oh yeah? Well how d'ya like this? I'm not working until you start telling me things."

"Do not forget who it was who found you and gave you purpose, Roxas," Xemnas said. "Or that we have another Keyblade in our midst. Go now and bring me more hearts."

"Riku, I want you to accompany Demyx into the city beneath," Saïx said. "Eliminate the infestation of Emblem Heartless, then find out what happened to Xaldin. If you see Sora you are authorised to use terminal force on him."

"Come on Saïx, I spent most of this morning fighting," Demyx protested. "Now you want me to do even more?"

"You know where they are. You can lead Riku to them."

"No need, like I said I saw most of what happened," Riku replied. "Xemnas, the hearts of these Emblem Heartless-"

"Will require no portal to become a part of Kingdom Hearts," he answered smoothly.

"Good to know. Nice to see you up and about at last Saïx. If anyone needs me, you know where I'll be," Riku added, then headed back down into the city.

At least working on his own he wouldn't have to worry about any inconvenient explanations – like where exactly he'd been in the city, why the Pureblood Heartless had intervened with such good timing, and why he was even now ordering the Heartless toward the portal Xaldin had been dropped into. He could handle his own curiosity and probably even sabotage all at the same time.

The portals still intrigued him. How they worked, why they showed far-off worlds even when there were no hearts passing through, why they showed what had already happened as if they were on a delay, and, once he glanced into the new portal as he arrived, who the young woman with a Keyblade was – not to mention where she was.

Questions that could wait though. He'd called in a lot of Emblem Heartless, and looking over them he could see it was going to take time. At least he'd be able to use his command over them to make it slightly easier on himself.

* * *

><p>Once Riku had taken out the amassed Heartless he'd headed to Hollow Bastion to find it was, once again, oddly quiet. This time however it was more readily explained as for the first time in any of his visits, it showed a sense of its own time. It was still so early as to remain before sunrise here.<p>

The small activity about the town was merely Leon and Cloud, keeping wary watch in case anything showed up. After finding him up at a part of town overlooking the vast canyon that had once been the rising falls leading to the towering structure he'd originally known as Hollow Bastion, Riku joined Cloud.

"I hear something happened to you recently," Riku murmured.

"Something did. I don't want to talk about it."

"Anything I should know about?"

"Probably not. Ask Yuffie, she's been taking a disturbingly happy interest in telling everyone. No doubt she'll love to tell you."

"Maybe later. What's been going on here since I last stopped by?"

"Cid restored the defence system. Leon's been trying to reach the castle of Ansem the Wise, thinks it might hold something useful. Merlin and Cid are fascinated with some clone of the King he brought back from Castle Oblivion."

"Is the King still here?"

"Not at the moment. He headed home to see Minnie. Doesn't like leaving her alone for too long if he can help it. He'll probably be back in a few days."

"Think I might have to look him up at home then, I can't really wait a few days."

"Price you pay for playing both sides, huh? What's the Organization up to?"

"Same old," Riku shrugged. "Gathering hearts. Roxas is turning into a little rebel again because I need to get him away from them without raising suspicion. In three days he'll get his heart back and be on the trail to destroying the Organization. A few members lost, most of them because of me – not that they know that. Somehow they've managed to remain completely ignorant of my activities."

"Hope it lasts. All you need is one slip back to them."

"Maybe, but once Roxas leaves they have to depend on me. True, any Heartless slain by a Keyblade counts, but I can command Heartless. As long as I keep them away from Mickey and Roxas, they don't get any hearts, so if they turn me out too they're screwed."

"Is there anything you _haven't_ thought of?" Cloud demanded.

"Probably, but if there is I haven't thought of it yet," Riku answered with a grin. "Don't worry about me, Cloud. I know what I'm doing." He paused, then added, "Probably. Let Cid and Merlin know I'll be back later to check in with them would you?"

Cloud simply nodded response, continuing his patrol, while Riku picked a quiet back street, ensured there was no one around, then stopped.

He realised, probably for the first time, he had no actual idea where the King's home world was. A thought occurred to him, then to the air nearby he said, "Home of King Mickey."

He wasn't sure it'd work – the instant portals he'd caused before could have been a by-product of having Ansem around. After a few moments though one flickered into being, having clear trouble forming until he supplied some of his own darkness to push it out.

Like the others before it had no corridor between, it was an instant, and this time slightly disorienting transfer between worlds that left him stood in a library. Or at least it looked like a library. With some strangely shaped shelves. It made the area look like a distorted image.

It was also deserted.

"Well this is a bit of an embuggerance," he muttered. "Mickey, are you here somewhere?" he called out. No response.

After searching the library and finding nothing and no one at all, he headed out the single door to a wide marble colonnade overlooking an ornamental garden below. It was more dominated by a giant pair of doors opposite however – and a thin line revealing the existance of a smaller one within. Faint voices were coming from the other side, so he knocked the smaller door and let himself in.

"Anyone mind if I join you?" he asked mildly, looking about the vast – if empty – throne room beyond. It was predominately white except for occasional ornaments and the long red carpet leading down the entire length of the room, where two thrones sat. Before them stood Mickey and another like him who was presumably Minnie. There was also a well-dressed lady duck present.

"Riku!" Mickey called, his voice echoing about the room. "When did you get here?"

"Oh, just now. I thought it'd be a good idea to let you know what I've been up to. Care to introduce me while I make my way up there?"

"Of course! This is my Queen, Minnie," he gestured to her. She gave a formal curtsy to him. "And this is the Duchess of the castle, Lady Daisy."

"I've heard about you," Daisy said. "You're the one who Donald was supposed to meet, weren't you?"

"Well yes," Riku admitted. "I did meet him and Goofy, except things kinda happened and I got separated. I know where they are, don't worry, they're safe."

"Let him know I'm just waiting to see him get back here, won't you?" Daisy asked with a slight edge that made even Mickey wince back slightly.

"I'll pass it on," he promised. "I'll be seeing him in three days anyway. Important time that. Your Majesty, do you happen to know of someone named Ventus?"

"Of course," Mickey replied. "Met him ten years ago. Was an aspiring Keyblade Master, but he'd run away from his teacher... kinda like me at the time," he admitted ruefully. "Different reasons though. Never did find out what happened to him."

"Would it surprise you to learn that he needed to hide for a while, so asked someone else to protect his heart and became the Nobody we now know today as Roxas?"

"Roxas? I wondered why he looked so familiar, but surely he should look older, right?"

"Roxas thinks its because he's a Nobody he hasn't aged at all. Anyway, in three days he's going to get his heart back and return to being Ventus, and in three days I'm going to retrieve something of my own and wake up Sora, Donald and Goofy. I need Sora to do something else for me, but if I can sneak all this past the Organization, I'm planning to have Ven take over and go with Donald and Goofy."

"What about you and Sora?"

"I can't say too much about Sora, I don't want to take chances with what I have in mind with him. As for me, I'll still be with the Organization. Unavoidable, but someone's got to keep an eye on them. Oh, by the way – I got rid of Ansem, or at least the remains of him that were hiding in me."

"Figured that. You wouldn't have been able to come here otherwise. We're protected against the darkness here."

"Should have known," Riku laughed. "I'd love to stay and catch up some more, but there's others I've got to call in with while the Organization doesn't know I'm not busy working for them. I'll try to get word to you whenever I can."

"Riku!" Mickey called after him as he left. "Go on down to the hanger below. Ask Chip and Dale to get you to your next destination by Gummi Ship. Means one less corridor for the Organization to notice, and saves you the trouble too."

"Thanks, your Majesty."

"Sure I told you to call me Mickey," he complained.


	43. An Unexpected Guest

Hollow Bastion had finally dawned during his visit to Mickey. The two little chipmunks, despite their even tinier size, had expertly piloted a Gummi ship from the castle to Hollow Bastion even fending off an attack by some curious creatures they called Gummi Heartless. He'd reached out to a few experimentally and found, yes, they were Heartless. But they had a distinctly alien feel to them, probably caused by adapting to the space between worlds.

They dropped him off not far from the market, leaving him to pick his way through the few sleepy early risers, most of which ran the various shops and had to be up. Leon must have passed word around about him, and that as long as he was alone he was to be trusted, because no one treated him as anyone out of the ordinary.

Merlin was already up, wide eyed and bushy tailed – literally, he explained due to a mishap with a spell that had left him with a long striped tail that appeared to have a mind of its own.

"Weren't you looking into that Replica Mickey brought you?" Riku asked. "Not messing around with magic?"

"I was _not_ messing around, I just accidentally skipped a few words, that's all!" he replied somewhat peevishly.

"You know it's stolen your wand from you," Riku said, manging to avoid even cracking a smile.

Merlin looked to the tail in consternation and held a brief fight to wrest the wand back from it.

"Sooner I can find the counterspell the better," he muttered. "Now, about that Replica... I had to move it to the basement when it woke up."

"Why, what happened?"

"It turned... well, rather violent. Unlike the good King, it seems to have quite a command over the darkness, and isn't afraid to use them, in fact I'm afraid to say it's getting rather beyond my ability to contain it."

"You? The greatest magician anyone knows, and you can't do something?"

"Well obviously I can do something, but with the Replica's habit of attacking anything that shares the same room as it, I don't get the chance! Magic is not simply something you can cast in a few instants you know!"

"Not really. I never really got the hang of magic. I think I've got a spell or two, but I don't really use them." Then an idea occurred to him. "How about if I distract it long enough for you to do your magic, and in return if I need a bit of magical assistance I'll call on you?"

"Oh, and I suppose that's supposed to be fair! I can't go galavanting across all worlds as easily as I used to, you know."

"I'm not suggesting you do, but I might need magic at some point later on, and it could well be easier and quicker to have you do it than take the time for me to learn everything. Wand again," he added absently.

"Cursed tail!" Merlin burst out, wresting it back once again. "Very well, but only because the King insists you're so important. I'll spell us down to the basement, but you'll have to be ready to defend me the very moment we appear."

Riku simply took out both his weapons, the Keyblade in his right and Soul Eater in the left. It'd been a while since he'd needed to draw both, but given Merlin's warning he felt it necessary.

This did not seem to do much to inspire confidence in Merlin, but he muttered a few words with a wave of the wand. The room blurred like paint running down a canvas, as if it was dragging the world down with it, only to drag in another blur that settled into an almost empty basement room that had no doors, no stairs... and one very irritated looking mouse.

"About time!" it snapped. "Don't you ever feed your prisoners?"

"Well, if it isn't the fake King, awake at last," Riku said, putting himself between the Replica and Merlin, who was already starting to work.

"Fake?" it laughed. "Depends on your definition. You gotta be Riku. Mickey mentioned you. Said you were probably the best hope he had for stopping the Organization, but here ya stand looking just like one of them."

"There are reasons, but I don't think we need to share them with you. You're not as vicious as you're reputed to be, you know."

"Oh yeah? We'll see about that!"

The Replica drew back a bunched fist, then in the middle of a backflip punched at the air to send a hazy pearl of darkness hurtling toward him. Riku raised both weapons crossed before him to fend it off, slashing with both as it drew close. The pearl turned white, picked up even greater speed and shot back toward the Replica.

It managed avoid that with no trouble at all, dodging aside then taking a running leap for Riku. He didn't budge from his protective position, again using both weapons – but the Replica had the advantage of small size and great agility, avoiding the blades to land a solid blow on his chest that sent him flying. Merlin paused in his spell to teleport to safety. Riku hoped he didn't have to start anew, otherwise this would take a while.

Mickey's Replica hadn't paused, and was still coming after him even before he'd landed again. Remarkably, not once did it draw a Keyblade or any kind of weapon, preferring instead to throw dark magic at him to keep him busy while it closed in.

"Well, I know how to deal with that," Riku muttered to himself, then tugged on his own darkness and created a barrier out of it. The storm of lightning that had been flickering for him earthed itself in the barrier harmlessly.

"What?" it exclaimed. "Darkness!"

"That's right, little fake," Riku replied. "Darkness. Now let's see you take on someone who _really_ knows how to deal with it!"

He pulled on the darkness in force now, using it to push past his normal limits. He found channelling it through the Keyblade enhanced it further, allowing him to send a blast of darkened fire back at the Replica that was far beyond anything he could have achieved.

That was toned down slightly, then instead of using one large blast he sent a barrage of smaller ones, chasing the Replica around the room as it leapt, dodged and weaved around them, only rarely getting caught by a glancing blow that it recovered from quickly.

Then he leapt for the Replica himself, matching its natural agility with one supplied by the darkness, not perfect but better than he'd had before. For his own safety he shifted to Sora, ignoring Merlin's sudden look of surprise as his appearance changed to reflect that. The Replica was unimpressed, however.

"You think a change of wardrobe is gonna beat me?" it demanded as the two weaved around each other, each avoiding the others attacks.

"Who said it was because of you?" Riku retorted.

"Why else would ya do it? Darkness not enough for ya, huh?"

Riku feinted low with Soul Eater, striking high with the Keyblade to catch it out. This time the Replica was sent tumbling, back on its feet in moments to leap into the air – and stop.

"At last!" Merlin exclaimed with some relief. "Now I've got it contained, there's no need to be concerned."

"Probably just as well," Riku replied. "If that's how the King fights too, I'd hate to come up against him _with_ a Keyblade."

Merlin cast several more spells over the Replica for additional assurance, one of which caused a glowing blue barrier to encompass it.

"There. That should hold it, even if the Stopza spell wears off. Thank you for your assistance there, Riku... what happened to you?"

Riku realised he hadn't restored his normal form, quickly attending to that.

"Just something that happens now and then," he covered quickly. "Only happens when I use a lot of darkness. I've got it under control."

"I hope you're right there. Now, perhaps you'd tell me what this magical assistance you need is?"

"I don't have anything just yet," he started, then a thought occurred. "No, actually I might. I know someone who's got some kind of tracker on him, not sure about the details. I need a way to simulate its effect when it activates, or a way to re-tune it and move it to someone else."

"Magic and technology do not mix well, young man," Merlin warned. "I may be able to move something if I know enough about it, but it could well be that whatever powers this tracker will be shorted out by the magic."

"And made useless. That's a bit inconvenient, but thanks anyway. I'll let you know if I need anything else. If you'd care to take us back up, I should be on my way before the Organization comes looking for me."

Merlin nodded, stopping to retrieve his wand from the tail yet again then casting the same blurring spell that took them back upstairs. Before either of them had said anything, Yuffie appeared in the doorway.

"You're back! Leon's found someone who's in a bad state, we need you now Merlin!" then she realised Riku was there and added, "Oh, hi Riku. Can't stop!" and was gone again.

"Just once I'd like a moment's peace without reeling from one crisis to another like a drunken sailor," Merlin complained, waving the wand again. Riku got brought along for another blurring teleportation, whether intentionally or not he'd never know.

This time when it cleared they were in a damaged or partially built part of town with Leon hauling an unconscious body slung over one shoulder that was bigger than he was, struggling under the load. What was visible of him showed tall black boots, long white gloves and a blue suit that was more like a uniform, but nothing recognisable.

Riku moved to help Leon with the stranger, but drew back with a surprised gasp when he saw the face of the unconscious man – even the hair was a dead giveaway.

"Xaldin," he breathed. "He must have survived somehow, but..."

"I know this gentleman," Merlin mused as Leon set him down on the ground, needing a breather. "Dilan. One of the guards of Ansem's castle."

"I know him as Xaldin... one of the Organization," Riku explained. "I dropped him into one of the portals they use to gather hearts and he vanished. I... thought him destroyed..."

"Perhaps... the portal somehow reversed the effect and pulled his heart back," Merlin mused. "This certainly merits investigation."

"Riku, help me get him back to Merlin's?" Leon asked.

"I can't stay here," Riku shook his head. "If he wakes up and he still remembers, he might tell the Organization I'm not loyal. I can't take the risk, Leon. I'm sorry."

"I'll keep him sleeping," Merlin said. "No one wakes up from one of my sleep spells until I want them to. You won't have anything to worry about."

"Alright," he agreed reluctantly. "But then I'm outta here."


	44. The Final Replica

Merlin's spell lived up to his word, ensuring Xaldin – or Dilan, as the case may be – did not even so much as stir as they got him back through town. Yuffie had immediately darted off once they'd started, but returned with Cloud in tow to lend a hand. Xaldin was not the lightest person to heave about, so the extra help was more than welcome.

Riku stayed long enough to help manhandle him down into the basement where Merlin had spelled another bed to leave him on, the Mickey Replica watching from within the protective spells with great interest. Once he was safely there, he headed straight back to the castle.

He wouldn't tell Saïx, or even Roxas for now. To tell Saïx would mean explaining what he was doing in Hollow Bastion and why he had not brought Xaldin back with him. Telling Roxas was possible, but given his deliberately resurging rebellious streak he reasoned it best to avoid suggesting to anyone that they were still friends, or that they had something up the sleeves of their coats.

Maybe it was time for 'Sora' to sabotage another portal, he wondered in the corridor. True, it hadn't been long since the last one, but clearly the security on them was lax. With Xaldin at the very least temporarily out of the picture, they were down to just six members, two of which never seemed to leave the castle. Seven if they counted him, of course, and eight if Zexion was included – although since they thought him destroyed, probably not.

"You seem troubled," Saïx remarked as he exited his corridor, absently banishing it. "Is something amiss?"

Riku thought quickly, then answered, "I ran into Sora down there. Demyx is right about one thing, he's dedicated to finding whatever he's looking for, but he isn't afraid to go after anyone in his way. I tried to talk him out of it and got attacked for my trouble."

"You _did_ say he would be impossible to bring around."

"I'm one of his best friends, Saïx. He should at least have heard me out. I don't like to admit it, and I'll deny it if you try to tell anyone else, but I ended up having to run from him. Somehow he's gotten more powerful than I ever remember him being."

"Perhaps he found something even as you did in the darkness," Saïx suggested. "In any case, Axel has found something you should see. Report to Castle Oblivion at once."

"Saïx, I just got back. Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

"Axel was quite insistent you see it as soon as possible. He became... quite emotional." Saïx took in Riku's surprise and continued, "I believe the presence of your heart and the friendship you have with him is causing him to feel emotions somehow."

"What, you're counting out me entirely now?" Roxas complained ungraciously, exiting his corridor. "I still feel things, in case you've forgotten. And you," he pointed at Riku. "D'ya know how hard it is to do my job when you're hogging the Heartless yourself?"

"Maybe I'd better go to Castle Oblivion after all," Riku murmured. He knew Roxas's complaint wasn't serious, but Saïx didn't know that.

"Oh, sure, just run away, like you did earlier," Roxas's voice followed. _That_ was going a bit far, he decided, then it hit him... Roxas couldn't have heard all of the conversation between him and Saïx, and there had been no flight from Sora. Was Roxas guessing, or was something strange going on again?

Well, stranger. Strange was normal by now.

Castle Oblivion, with its strange arrangement of towers and turrets sticking out at odd angles, remained as cold and uninviting as it had appeared last time he'd been here. Lights came from upper windows, but the windows he noticed looked more as if they had been pasted on to the walls with nothing actually behind them.

Axel was not waiting for him inside the castle's white room, but one of his Nobodies was waiting for him. A hunched white figure that he identified as an Assassin Nobody under Axel's command stood almost completely unmoving.

"Go tell Axel I'm here," Riku told it. It crackled out of existance, not long after followed by a corridor opening. Since no one came through, he took it himself. It was only a short one, leading somewhere else in the castle – another white room, similar to the first except that it had only one door, and two furnishings – a single chair before a small white desk. Axel was leaning against the wall nearby, flipping through a pad.

"You're here earlier than I thought," he said to Riku as he emerged, waving at the corridor to close it.

"Saïx said you got very emotional. I thought I'd better stop by and see who's heart you nicked."

"Oh, very good," he chuckled. "Blame yourself, and probably Roxas too for that."

"Sure. What's so important it couldn't wait?"

Axel searched the pad for a specific page, then set it down on the table. "Have a look at this. While Naminé was here, she made many sketches in the pad, and so far almost all of them have been of something that's happened, or was going to happen. They usually centred around Sora, but there's quite a few about you, starting here."

Riku glanced at the page Axel had left it open at. It was a drawing of three people – Kairi, Sora and Riku, just as they'd been on the islands. The three of them each had a third of a Paopu fruit.

"I remember this," Riku mused. "It was the day before the storm hit the islands and the darkness took them. We all shared a Paopu together. I remember we were all curious, we wanted to know what would happen if three people shared one instead of two."

And we know what happened then, he added to himself.

"That's not all," Axel said. "I've marked the ones you're in with the red tabs. Sometimes they came in a series," he went on, flicking it to the next one, this time leaving both pages showing.

The left page had a drawing of Sora holding on to a tree, just before the storm had claimed him too. Riku remembered that at least – he must still have that memory because it was after the time the Paopu's effects had taken hold.

The second page showed him, as he'd appeared when he woke up in Hollow Bastion, but instead of being there he was shown drifting in darkness, darkness that was everywhere except for a figure wearing a black coat.

"That must be Vexen," Riku said. "He had some contact with Maleficent, I understand. But she said she was the one to retrieve me from the darkness.

"Keep going," Axel prompted, turning the page.

The black coat figure again, this time in a white room. Two flower-like pods, very much like the one he'd seen Sora in, had been drawn in the room. One of them was empty, but the other held him.

The second page was identical, except now the second pod had a copy of him inside.

Riku turned the page himself this time, continuing to 'read' this strange story. The white room yet again, but now the copied him was released from the pod. An arrow pointed to a second drawing below, showing him before the mirror, shocked at seeing his new appearance.

A second arrow pointed from the original, still in the pod, to the drawing on the other page. Now there were two black coated figures with it. This drawing too had another arrow pointing to a second drawing on this page. One of the two figures had disappeared, and the original him had come out of the pod.

One more arrow led to a third, smaller drawing. The drawing of him outside the pod had been replaced with the second black-coated figure again. What had happened to him? Why had that member disappeared and reappeared? The pictures did not tell the full story.

"If this is true," Riku breathed, not wanting to believe it himself. "Then... when I woke up in Hollow Bastion... I'm a Replica."

"Not like any Replica I've ever seen before though," Axel said. "Vexen left a few notes behind at the castle – the other one that is, not this one. He was here working on Replicas before he met you, and he made three of them. The first got out of his control and left Castle Oblivion before the operation here."

"I know about that one," Riku said. "That's the Sora Replica. I know exactly where he is... and where the real Sora is. Or where I thought he was, anyway. I also know the second stayed here, and was turned into a Replica of Mickey."

"Right," Axel agreed. "But the third one – you – is different. From the few details I've been able to cobble together, I think there's only one part of you that's a Replica. Everything else is the real deal. And that, Riku, is your body. Can't be certain, but I think here," he pointed at the picture with two pods, both with him drawn inside, "Shows Vexen, and I think he transferred everything that was you – heart, mind and everything that wasn't your body – into the Replica body. You're a real person-"

"Just with a fake body," Riku said. And then he understood the Magic Mirror's message. It had said 'it matters not that your vessel is not true' – referring to his body, undoubtedly – 'for truth lies in your hearts'. The part about 'the old waits for you to meet' suggested he'd meet his old, real body, but then it had gone on to say, 'restoring it is not what you should seek', instead suggesting he should be ready to strike it down – though its explanation of 'lest all be lost to the night' left a lot to be desired.

Understanding softened the blow somewhat, but it didn't make him feel any better about it.

"What about this?" he asked then, pointing to the other drawings showing what had happened to the real thing. "If we assume this figure is Vexen, all we can tell is that another member shows up, disappears, then my body disappears and the first – or possibly another – member shows up."

"Haven't been able to shed any light on that one, Riku. If the room Naminé drew is here in Castle Oblivion, it's already been cleaned out. I'll ask about, but it's likely that none of the others will admit to being there. Without Vexen there's no way to tell who it was, or what happened."

"I have to know, Axel. Somewhere out there is a Nobody that knows exactly what happened to my original body, and I want to know who it is and what they did with it. And when I find out who..."

"Easy, there," Axel tried to calm him. "You don't even know why they did whatever they did. They might have had a good reason."

"None that I'll accept. This was done without my consent, Axel. How would you like it if someone did the same thing to you, and _you_ were the one finding out like this?"

"Hey, I'm a Nobody. I don't feel anything." Riku gave him a flat stare. "Alright, so it'd bug me too," he conceded. "Just don't go doing anything reckless, will you? Gimme some time to dig up more."

"Does anyone else know about this?"

"Not yet. I just told Saïx I needed you here no matter what. I knew you'd want to see this."

"Keep it to yourself then. Invent something if people get too curious, and whatever you do, don't let anyone, and I mean _anyone_ anywhere near that pad. This goes no further than the two of us."

"Not... even Roxas?"

"Not even him," Riku answered, then opened a corridor before Axel could say anything else. It was bad enough it was true, but what infuriated him was that someone had done it without telling him. That there were at least two members of the Organization who knew exactly what had happened – and said nothing.

"If there's something beyond life for you Nobodies, you'd better be glad you're there, Vexen," Riku growled. "Otherwise you wouldn't be seeing another day. And if I find out who else is involved..." he trailed off.


	45. Playing Games

He didn't talk to anyone once he returned to the castle, keeping to himself. Even Luxord took one look and sensibly kept out of Riku's way until he'd slammed the door of his room and sunk down against it. He'd kept himself under control until now, but now he was out of sight the truth of it hit hard.

It was all well and good Axel telling him that he'd seen Vexen's notes and figured that it was only his body not real, but he'd seen more of Vexen's notes than he had. Different notes, not including the ones that Vexen had not shown him only to be found by Axel, but he'd seen them.

Maybe that was why it reacted so readily when he wanted a different form. It was designed that way, designed so Maleficent could draw out Sora and put him to work. First to steal Leon's sword, then to kidnap Alice. He was certain now, both those events had been because of Sora, under the influence of Maleficent.

She was gone now, and her influence remained only in the crown, its chain links still alternating silver and black. He hadn't once worn it since joining the Organization. With Maleficent gone, what was the point? Only a few of her council remained, and all of them had gone back to their home worlds. Hollow Bastion had been vacated, and it seemed clear that the watch Maleficent had put on him worked from there, not from her specifically.

She had to have known something at least. She had told him that it had been Hook that had found him, with his ship modified to ply the space between worlds and then further for the darkness. Naminé's drawings told a different story though.

How had she known? Her power over the Sora Replica's memories? That gave him pause in itself – was it Sora and his heart that she had power over, or was it Replicas? If it was Replicas, then she could have modified his own memory as well.

Except she'd never been anywhere except Castle Oblivion and DiZ's mansion, and everything he knew suggested she needed to be close to someone for a fair while before she could work.

Maybe, if retrieving Sora's heart didn't do it, what he needed was access to Sora's memories – and that of the Replica's too. Perhaps in the time before he'd gained Sora's heart, he'd have noticed something that would help.

And maybe if the Replica decided to stick around, there was a way to undo what the Paopu had done. Maybe.

* * *

><p>Two days left. The first thought that occurred to him when he woke. Two more days, and it'd be time for Sora's awakening and the return of Ventus. He hoped Roxas could meet that deadline, and he hoped just as much that he'd be able to find some way to distract the Organization at the time.<p>

Saïx, naturally, was already up, looking for all the world like he'd been there all along. It was almost as if he'd never left.

"Where to?" he asked.

"Olympus Coliseum," Saïx answered. "Go with Roxas when he arrives. There's been an outbreak of Heartless there that have nothing to do with us, and we need it to be eliminated before it gets out of hand."

"I just hope he doesn't turn on me again. Bad enough he's started acting up."

"Perhaps. What did you find in Castle Oblivion? Axel would not say anything."

"I don't want to talk about it," Riku replied shortly.

"If it concerns the Organization-"

"It doesn't," he snapped. "Just leave it alone."

Saïx appeared to find this flare of temper amusing somehow, but chose not to pursue it. While they waited for Roxas, he picked one of the couches to wait.

"Luxord finished his mission, by the way," Saïx said. "I thought you'd want to know."

"What did he find?"

"About what I expected. The remnants of other worlds that it was comprised of were restored to their proper places not long after your disappearance in Hollow Bastion, we presume to defeat Ansem and seal the Door to Darkness."

"Just where did you learn that? I don't recall ever mentioning any Door to Darkness."

"You didn't. We are working off available information. We would have more, but with Demyx investigating Sora in the city beneath, our main source of intelligence is missing."

"Go ahead and take him off that then," Riku shrugged. "After what he did to Xaldin, I don't think we should put Demyx in his path."

"You would leave him to run unchecked?"

"Are you trying to lose us members, Saïx?" Riku demanded. "Sora's too strong, too much of a risk. I might stand a chance against him, but if I go after him I won't be able to gather hearts for the day. Roxas can cover for me, but do you really want to push him any further when he's already acting up as it is?"

Saïx took the outburst without a chance of expression, thinking it through. "Perhaps there is something to what you say. I will speak with Xemnas once you and Roxas have departed – perhaps it is time to track him too as you suggest."

"Don't you trust me?" Roxas growled, making his way in. "Well, this is you we're talking about, of course not."

"Someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning," Riku murmured. "You're with me today. Olympus Coliseum. Let me know when you're ready to go."

"Just get up and get one with it," he snapped. "Before I change my mind about putting up with you."

Riku formed the corridor himself, letting Roxas take it first. Almost as soon as they were both within the portal, Roxas grinned and held up one hand for silence, pointing to the other end.

He hadn't been to Olympus Coliseum himself, but he'd met Hades and seen it several times at Maleficent's council. They emerged into the sandy courtyard outside, though it thankfully did not bear the same heat as Agrabah usually did.

"Been a while since I was here last," Roxas murmured reflectively. "Should be able to see how Herc's getting on with Phil, and maybe see what happened to Zack."

"We can ask about it you want, but we're on heart collection."

"Oh who cares about that," he snorted. "It's not as if they're going to do anything to us. Anyway, tell me why you ran from me yesterday?"

"Uh... I didn't see you at all yesterday, Roxas."

"You can't fool me Riku. I know you when I see you, and it was definitely you I saw."

"Oh, really? Where was I then?"

"Halloween Town, of course. That's where I was yesterday. The Heartless there are harder to find, so I had to go hunting for them, and when I found a wooded place just outside town I saw you near that tree with the candy cane on it."

"Roxas, I've never been to Halloween Town. I certainly wasn't there yesterday, I was mostly at Hollow Bastion once I was done in Dark City. Quick stop of at a couple of other worlds, but that wasn't one of them."

Roxas gave him a troubled look. "You're sure it wasn't you?"

"Sure as I can be. I couldn't even tell you what I did in reaction to you, or how I noticed you."

"Because it wasn't you. Well, I'll clear that up – all I did was call to you, you looked over at me and then headed into a corridor. That was it. But if that wasn't you, who was it?"

His original body being used by someone else. What other explanation could there be?

"I don't know," Riku said out loud. "Probably safe to assume he's some kind of imposter trying to frame me for something. Now lets get to work, otherwise the Heartless will get away from us."

"No worries there," Roxas smirked. "Phil should remember me, I'll just enter us in the Games. They've been using the Heartless for the early rounds, not that they ever do all that well."

"Isn't that... kinda risky?"

"Nah, the local gods intervene before anything happens. C'mon, I'll introduce you to Phil. If he's around, anyway."

"This _is_ supposed to be a stealth operation you know," Riku reminded him, following him toward the imposing facade of the coliseum itself.

"So what? It's the results that count. Anyway, anything to annoy Saïx. Gotta get the most out of it before I disappear on him. What was that about your tracker idea earlier?"

"They've put a tracker on Sora, and as soon as he wakes up they'll know exactly where it is. If you've got a similar one and you trigger it when you get your heart back, I'll be able to wake him up safely."

"Nice plan, but it won't work," he replied, shoving open one door. "Just let me know where Sora's being kept. I'll show up to hold up the Organization while you handle him. Then when you're done you just turn up claiming to have just heard what's going on, and I take that as my cue to run. Hey Phil!" he called in. "You here?"

"You trying to break my ears, kid?" a voice said from below. "If it ain't Ventus. Haven't seen you in a nymph's age! And you don't look a day older neither!"

"What can I say, I age well," Roxas laughed. "Think you might be able to get us two into the games?"

"What, you? Didn't I tell ya last time, heroes only in the games?"

"C'mon Phil," Roxas pleaded. "I did save the coliseum from the Unversed, right?"

"With help from Herc and Zack," Phil countered. "Wasn't your effort alone."

"Guess I'll just have to go see if someone else wants help with their Heartless then," Roxas said, sounding downcast. "And after I went to all the trouble of making sure the two of us had Keyblades that could hurt them too."

"I can see what you're trying to do kid, but it ain't working. Herc's been taking care of them, no worries. Even been heading down into the Underworld to keep 'em down so Hades can't send 'em up here."

"Oh, come on. You said yourself, you can never have too much help. I bet you've been working him hard, the way you always do your heroes. Give him a break and let us handle it."

Phil bore his determined look for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, but you boys follow my two words of advice. Don't ever lose."

"Three words," Riku said absently.

"Don't correct me," Phil said. "Just wait here while I go clear you both for 'em. Who are you, anyway?"

"Put us down as Roxas and Riku," Roxas told him. "He's Riku. I'm trying to lay low at the moment, so I gotta use a different name."

Phil didn't question that, stumping off into the Coliseum, throwing back, "Just wait there. I'll be back for you soon."

"What'd I tell you?" Roxas said. "The trophy is as good as ours, Riku!"

"Is it just me, or are you suspiciously happy about this?" Riku asked.

"Hey, last time I was here I spent most of my time trying to persuade him to let me into the Games and he absolutely would not let me. You really think I'm gonna pass up a chance to get in and win the title, even if I gotta share with you?"

"No, I suppose I can't really," Riku sighed.


	46. Qualifying

Phil returned not long after to wave them through into the main arena. Two great stands sat on either side, already packed with crowds, while heavy bars blocked off access to some rear part of the Coliseum, probably where the Heartless or other such opponents were held. Four stout columns marked the arena itself, while various possible contenders were gathering around the edges. They spotted no Heartless among them and what Riku took to be their own trainers. Phil pointed them out as he led them over to the leaderboards.

"That's young Zack," he gestured to the nearest one. "You'll remember him Ven. 'course he's not so young any more, but he still stops by to try for the title. Sometimes he shows up with his friend Cloud, but looks like he's on his own this time. Auron over there, he's in a bit of a hard place. Hades extracted some kind of agreement outta him, so he's up here as Hades' personal champion – not that he likes it much. A tough cookie, but he washed out last time coming second to Herc himself."

"Is he entering this time? Hercules, I mean?" Roxas asked.

"Sure, but he ain't here just yet. I got him in to one of the later matches anyway, so he's got time. He'll be here in time, don't you worry about it. Had a new challenger a couple weeks ago, but I haven't heard from him since. Wore a coat just like yours, looked a bit like a pirate."

"Xigbar," Riku said. "I heard he fell foul of a certain beastly friend of mine."

"Well just as well he did, otherwise there'd be no space for you in the Games. Today's just the preliminaries – the qualifying rounds. You and the other three heros win this and you're in to the main games against them. Winner of those rounds takes the title."

"Do I have to be here for them too if I'm entered with him?" Riku asked. "Only I can't be certain if I'll be able to make it."

"We'll see," Phil said. "Depends on Ven, since he's the one what got you in. You two stay here, you're in for the second round. I gotta go tell Auron he's up first."

"Give me a moment, will you?" Roxas asked Riku. "I wanna go catch up with Zack. Haven't seen him-"

"In ages, yeah, I gathered. Go on, I'll just be here watching our rivals."

Roxas was away almost before he'd finished talking, heading for the tall figure he assumed was Zack. Very tall, easily the tallest of all the contenders, but with an oddly boyish cast to him. He looked almost like a dark-haired version of Cloud that knew how to smile.

He had little doubt he wouldn't be able to join Roxas for the second round. Unless it happened before Sora's awakening, the only way he could see to being present was if the Organization assigned him to this world on the day, and even then they'd be suspicious about being entered alongside Ventus.

But maybe he could secure some assistance for him, whether he thought he needed it or not. After all, Donald and Goofy would have nothing to do once he'd set the Sora Replica on whichever path he chose, and he could hardly invite them to work for the Organization. Maybe they'd agree to work with Ventus instead. He _did _have a Keyblade, and they had been told to go with the key bearer.

Auron meanwhile took center stage to a chorus of jeering – the crowd had no affinity for Hades or his champion. The red-robed warrior ignored it however, setting his great sword against one shoulder. He held one arm as if in a sling, perhaps injured in a past fight. Wouldn't it have made more sense to let it heal first?

Shimmering blue barriers shot up to protect all noncombatants from the impending battle, then a hoard of Heartless appeared – Soldiers and several more powerful variants, Shadows, a handful of Neoshadows, and a couple of Green Requiem. Auron gave them a moment before he headed into the fray taking wide swings that easily defeated the lesser kinds, while the survivors recoiled back from it.

A second round of Heartless were quick to appear, a riot of conflicting colours from Heartless related to the Green Requiem but each with their own quirks, elements and attacks. Auron did not fare so well against this purely aerial assault, but held his own using a wide reach to catch most, or smashing attacks from one against others.

Before long the second round was down and he faced the third round, a single Heartless that Riku recognised – the Guard Armour, first seen way back in Traverse Town. Not a particularly challenging opponent he thought, but it soon became clear that Auron did not have the benefit of experience like he did. He pulled through however, much to the ignored disappointment of the crowd, and once it had fallen he wordlessly left the arena without even so much as a glance back.

Riku had an idea. While Phil was busy making the official announcements proclaiming Auron's qualification and who the next contenders were, Riku reached out to find the local Heartless. If he was right, the qualifying rounds would be the same for all of them.

He wasn't disappointed. Several groups of Heartless were being held just behind the rear walls, each of them identical to the first two rounds, with three more Guard Armours lying in wait.

"Roxas," he called. "We're up!"

"You better win," he heard Zack tell Roxas. "Otherwise I'll have to come after you to get that challenge out of you."

"C'mon, be serious," Roxas replied. "Me, lose?"

"Yeah, that's like telling water to run uphill," Zack laughed.

"Finished reminiscing?" Riku asked as the two headed out into the arena proper.

"Nah, but I can catch up with him again later."

"Hope you were paying attention to Auron's opponents. If I'm right, we're up against the same."

"Really?" Roxas said with a smile. "Piece of cake then."

The assembled crowd did not exactly dislike them, but there was only a token round of cheering for them. Hardly surprising since the two of them were, as far as they were concerned, completely new.

"This should interest them," Riku muttered with a sly smile. "They think we're unarmed."

"Why don't we change that?" Roxas said with a vicious grin.

Two Keyblades and Soul Eater flashed into existance, marking their readiness, silencing the crowd and causing the first round to charge them almost as soon as they'd appeared. The Heartless still knew when Keyblades were present.

Riku leapt up, jumping off the head of a Neoshadow to smack down one Green Requiem, landing to wipe out a bunch of Soliders. Roxas cast a fire spell to deal with the other, following up with thunder magic to clear out some shadows before he got stuck in with his own Keyblade. Riku remembered to keep an eye on him, seeing if he could pick up any new ideas. Most of them were more suited to Roxas's odd backhand style.

With the Heartless already focusing on them due to their Keyblades, the first round was down in no time, replaced with the second round – the massed relatives of the Green Requiems again. Roxas once more resorted to an interesting combination of magic to handle them. Maybe something he should look into himself sometime Riku conceded, though he'd never really needed magic before.

Instead he used the darkness, reasoning that as long as he didn't do anything that could be considered cheating – like commanding all the Heartless to drop low into range – it was probably safe. He made some show of using Soul Eater to point at the nearest Heartless, extending his command to it, then as he brought down Soul Eater the Heartless sank down too, as if forced to follow the point of Soul Eater. He kept it to one Heartless at a time, except when he was avoiding the attacks of others, so as not to raise suspicions.

A dark barrier shielded him from most of the attacks, except for one irritating Heartless that shot a ball of silver-white magic at him, ignoring the shield to force him and the Heartless to exchange places. It was disorienting, but short-lived as Roxas caught on and dealt with them for him.

Then the familiar sight of the Guard Armour clattered into view. Riku gave a grin of his own, surprising Roxas as he darted ahead and scrambled up the back of the armour, dismissing Soul Eater to get a decent grip on it while using the hook of his Keyblade as a climbing aid. Then once at the top he took the Keyblade's handle in both hands and struck at the back of the head, sending it flying out over the arena, bouncing off the protective barrier, then clattering to the floor. The hands and feet of the Guard Armour detached without benefit of the head's control.

"Oh, _now_ I see," Roxas commented. "Leave the feet to me!"

"Whatever you say," Riku shouted back, leaping back down then ducking under one hand as it stabbed with the sharp claws. He jabbed the Keyblade into the wrist then pulled down sharply to slam it down to the ground, then repeated for the other hand, right into the first. The spikes impaled one on the other, and both into the ground itself, making them easy targets to destroy.

Once they were down he bought some more time for Roxas by smashing the head away from the body, which had been drifting closer to it, then joined in to finish the feet off with him. With the head separated from the body, it didn't take long to batter away at them until they too fell, leaving them victorious, netting them plenty of hearts, and qualifying them for the real Games to boot.

The crowd was considerably louder than they had been when they'd taken the field. They'd clearly been impressed.

Unlike Auron, Roxas decided to stick around to watch Zack take part, and when the massively muscled Hercules turned up mid-match he went off to reminisce once again. Riku went looking for Phil instead.

"Don't suppose you can direct me to the Underworld, could you?" he asked the little red... whatever he was. "Only I thought I'd go handle some Heartless while Hercules is up here. Just to keep them down for him."

"Go through the lobby, outside then take the doors opposite," Phil answered, not taking his eyes off Zack. "You can't miss the portal there, believe me. And you don't need to worry – I registered you under Ven's name, so as long as he's present it doesn't matter who he's with come the games. Crowd's gonna miss you though."

"Can't be helped. I've got other commitments to honour. I'm sure you know how it is."

"Don't I just. Don't go losing to some Heartless now, will ya?" he called after him as he left.

"As if I would," Riku chuckled, pausing at the door to watch Zack. He didn't use magic, but he was plainly skilled with his own sword and very acrobatic too. None of the flying Heartless were safe from him unless they flew high enough, and even that didn't seem to be much use since it prevented them from retaliating effectively as well. He'd be a tough opponent to come up against, that was for sure.

He didn't have to go all the way to the Underworld to find more Heartless though. The presence of two Keyblades had brought the Heartless out of the Underworld once Hercules had arrived and right out into the courtyard outside. More than enough to complete both their quotas for the day, which would keep Saix happy. For now.


	47. Surprise Meeting

Riku waited outside the Coliseum for Roxas to rejoin him, having easily exterminated the Heartless they'd drawn out of the Underworld and even made a brief foray into Hades' realm to take out some more. He needed to talk to Roxas before they returned to the castle, and not just to synchronise the story they'd put before Saïx. Tomorrow was the last day they had to prepare for the big shake up.

While he was waiting, Hades puffed into existance nearby. He still wore the same black toga, and was still as blue as ever, leaning against one wall to mimic Riku.

"Long time no see, Hades," he greeted the God. "Figured you'd check in on an old friend?"

"Oh, you know how it is. Everyone needs a break from death from time to time. Been a whole load of nothing going on since that brat defeated Maleficent, you know."

"Keep watching outside your world, Hades. The Organization are the ones to watch out for now. That's why I'm wearing their coat."

"That what it means? Seen them around a few times. Never thought much of 'em, except when the little blondie comes down and keeps destroying my Heartless. Like you did."

"Sorry about that Hades. Had to go a little outta my way to meet a quota. Nothing personal intended."

"Quota? These Heartless do something?"

"Something like that. The Organization is collecting the hearts they release. Makes something powerful, I heard. Have to excuse me though, the 'little blondie' who happens to be partnered with me today just came out of the Coliseum, and I've got to take him home."

Hades vanished again, leaving behind the comment, "Once babysat, now the babysitter."

Roxas perhaps fortunately did not notice Hades disappearance, having been looking about the other side of the courtyard for Riku at the time. It didn't take him long to find and join him, where he opened a corridor – not to the castle, but to the front of the old mansion.

"You might recognise this place," Riku said to him. "You've probably seen it from your perch on the clock tower."

"We're going to Twilight Town then," Roxas said. "What for?"

"You said you needed to know where Sora is, didn't you? I'll introduce you to the others while we're there. You'll be working with some of them, and it'll be better if you know each other in advance." They exited the corridor in front of the gates, which DiZ had re-locked. "This is where I need you to be."

"So Sora's in the mansion, they'll show up here and I'll be here to distract them. On my own though..."

"Don't worry. I've thought of that. You'll still be able to use a corridor afterwards, won't you?"

"Sure. Won't be as easy as usual since I'll have to protect the heart, but I can do it. Why?"

"When you 'escape' take it further down into the mansion. I'll show you where. It'll get you some backup if you need it, and also get you out of trouble until I can persuade the Organization to go play somewhere else."

"Y'know, if Xemnas finds out about this, he's gonna blow his lid," Roxas laughed. "Even without a heart, you'd be driving him mad."

"You mean he isn't mad already?"

"I know, hard to tell the difference, right? Alright, where next?"

Riku unlocked the gates, remembering to lock them after them this time, then led him into the mansion itself.

"It's a bit of a wreck inside," Riku told him. "But DiZ keeps it standing. He should be here somewhere, but there's others here too. Naminé, Sora and his friends. We want the east wing."

"Why, what's up there?" he asked, seeing the apparently destroyed lower door.

"Not up there – down there. We have to go up to reach the basement."

Roxas looked a little puzzled, but followed all the same. Riku just retraced the route.

DiZ was seated at the computer when they reached it, giving them a cursory glance. "Riku," he nodded. "And Roxas."

"Soon to be Ventus," Riku added. "He's agreed to lend a hand. You might want to come with me, so you hear what I have to suggest instead of hearing it second hand."

Now DiZ looked puzzled, but fell into step behind them.

"I know those two," Roxas remarked, glancing at the recumbent forms of Donald and Goofy. "I met them once. They were looking for their King Mickey. I think I even met him once."

"They're the friends I mentioned," Riku said. "I've got plans for Sora once he wakes up, and they can't come with me or him. I suspect they'll wake up with Sora, so once you escape into the mansion and leave the Organization outside to me, DiZ will make sure they remember you and if they don't mind, they'll go with you instead of me."

"Very neat," DiZ observed. "I would presume Roxas will serve as the distraction while we awaken Sora then?"

"I'll be Ventus again by then," Roxas said. "But yeah, that's gonna be my responsibility."

"Right," Riku agreed. "Last stop on our tour... Naminé and Sora."

Naminé was stood near the pod containing the Sora Replica, her face creased with concentration. Roxas immediately headed to Sora without prompting, while Riku held DiZ back.

"Not a word to him," he murmured to DiZ. "He doesn't know that's a Replica."

"And what about you? Naminé discovered you're-"

"I know," Riku cut him off. "I don't like it but I don't have all the details. Keep _that_ to yourself as well. As far as Roxas knows, that's the real Sora and I'm all real, not just in a fake body."

With that covered he went to join Roxas and Sora.

"How is it going, Naminé?" he asked.

"I'm almost done," she replied. "His memories are almost completely restored. I should finish tomorrow morning, but I can hold him in sleep while I check through the memories and make sure they're right. I'll be able to awaken him at any time."

"Thank you, Naminé. I owe you big time for this."

"Not at all – that's what friends do for each other, right?"

"She learns quick," Roxas chuckled. "You know, looking at him like this, he sorta reminds me of what I used to be like. Just one question, Riku?"

"Only one? I'm crushed," he teased.

"What're we gonna do about Saïx? He still thinks I hate you at the moment, remember?"

"I'm sure we can come up with a convincing display for him..."

* * *

><p>The two paused before the exit corridor, then nodded and took out their Keyblades. They made sounds as if they were attacking each other with them, then Roxas shoved him out of the corridor. To anyone outside it would have looked as if he'd been thrown out of it.<p>

Roxas exited and ran for the exit of the Grey Area, while Riku half rose and threw his Keyblade at him.

"Don't you run off, Roxas! You haven't reported back yet!" he snapped.

"I don't take orders from you," he retorted, smashing aside the thrown Keyblade. "Go report in yourself, I'm outta here!"

Riku made some show of injury as he rose the rest of the way, staring at Roxas's retreating back, then threw his arms skyward.

"On your own head then," he said peevishly, then noticed Luxord and Saix watching with surprise. "What're you looking at?"

"What happened to cause that?" Saïx asked.

"What d'ya think? He turned on me as soon as we got there. I had to fight with him just to get him to do his job, and even then I ended up doing most of the work. You've got your hearts, but don't send me with him again, Saïx. I'm no use to you if he gets rid of me first."

"If he sticks around that long," Luxord observed. "He may be getting 'outta here' in more ways than one."

"Perhaps," Saïx said. "But we have made arrangements if he tries to leave. We don't accept resignations, after all."

"Just don't lose us anyone else, will you?" Riku grunted. "I'm going back to my room to see just how hurt I actually am under all this."

As soon as he was out of their sight he dropped the injured act, heading straight for his room and locking the door behind him. He had one more plan to put in place tonight. If it didn't aid Roxas a little in his activities tomorrow, it would at least inconvenience the Organization again.

He worked quickly, changing once again to Sora only with one difference. He fetched out the blindfold he'd worn before, set it into place, then tugged once on the darkness to see out into Dark City.

A few moments to get his bearings and locate the two portals he'd knew about and he confirmed that the portal he'd dropped Xaldin into was the active one. Hearts were still pouring through it right now, making it too risky to sabotage just yet, but that wasn't his primary goal. Yet.

First he took a corridor directly to the inactive portal he'd seen, examining it in detail. It appeared to be little more than a dried up fountain, but the base of it held a bewildering mass of technology. This was almost certainly a portal waiting to be activated.

Taking care not to leave himself without an easy way out, he lowered himself down into the maze of machines, occasionally picking a cable or wire at random and either unplugging it, cutting it with Soul Eater or switching its place with another one. The portal was no doubt a highly specialised device, and would not function properly if not in perfect condition.

After he judged he'd done enough there, he took himself to the wreckage of the original portal, retrieving some convenient remains and even several motors and other devices. Though not technically minded, he was able to use them to rig up a system that would, once he flicked a switch he'd cannibalised from a lighting system, activate the motors and seal the space above the portal. The hearts would build up against it and just like the first portal... it would eventually burst under the pressure, destroying the portal and calling vast amounts of Heartless.

Then to complete the night's work, after a brief rest in his room that was more to ensure no one had gone looking for him than an actual break as such, he headed to the currently active portal, watching the last few hearts emerge from the shimmering mass below before he repeated the same thing for it. Except this time, he didn't bother with a switch or motors, he just blocked it off entirely.

Once he was done he glanced up at the castle and he was sure in the distance he spotted the Grey Area and the distinct form of Saïx still stood at the window. A sudden inspiration occurred to him. Anyone looking at him right now would still think him Sora. Xaldin had met that Sora, and Demyx too. Maybe it was time for Saïx himself to meet their saboteur.

He planned ahead carefully, knowing that one wrong move could see him captured, maybe even destroyed, and if he wasn't careful, his real identity revealed. Once he was satisfied with his plans, Riku opened a new corridor, leaving him to emerge in the Grey Area.

He looked about as if seeing it for the first time, noticing Saïx was alone.

"Nice place you got here," he said conversationally. "Could use a bit of colour though. Aren't you Saïx?"

"Sora. What a pleasant surprise. And how nice of you to come to us when we were already looking for you."

"Yeah, I saw you 'looking'," he snorted. "Heartless and Nobodies. They're not very reliable, and don't seem to have figured out it's a bad idea to get in my way."

"And yet their numbers are undiminished."

"I didn't say I destroyed them, did I?" he replied, waggling a finger at him. "Anyway, they don't have anything to work with. I don't have a heart – or did Riku tell you that already?"

"He mentioned it. We may be able to solve that for you. Get you a new heart."

"Why would I wanna do that? That old thing was always holding me back. Now I've got the chance to get out and see whatever I want. And one thing in particular. Pretty sure it's someplace around here, but I haven't found it yet."

"Dark City is well known to us," Saïx countered, watching him carefully. "If you would tell us what you seek-"

"You could trick me into doing whatever you want in return. Nuh-uh. I don't work for anyone except myself. Mind if I just wander about your castle for a bit, see if it's here? You won't even know I'm here if you don't let anyone get in the way."

"You can look through – when you join us."

"Wrong answer," he replied cooly, snapping his fingers. Four Neoshadows appeared at his command, stood between the two of them. "Nice talking with ya Saïx. Tell Riku I stopped by, won't you? I know he just loves to know what I get up to. I'd see him myself, but he-"

"But I what?"

Riku stopped dead. It was his own voice. Unmistakable. Stood in the doorway was someone wearing a black coat, hood raised.

"Impossible," Riku breathed.

"Really?" the unknown someone said, still in Riku's voice. He snapped his fingers and Riku felt his command dissolve, the four Neoshadows vanishing again. Then he pushed back the hood of the coat and Riku found himself looking back at his own face.

"On second thoughts maybe I don't want to see the castle," Riku said, hurridly summoning a corridor to get him out of there. He ran down the corridor until it left him somewhere in Dark City, and then just for good measure he headed through the streets until he was certain there was no pursuit.

Only once he'd caught his breath and got over the shock did he return to his room, finding it thankfully empty with no sign of being disturbed. It took him only a few moments to conceal the fact he'd ever looked like Sora.

The shock was still there in the back of his mind though. His old body was here in the castle, and someone was using it.


	48. Treachery

Riku had been with the Organization long enough to learn to control the outward signs of the inner turmoil last night's meeting had caused. The time covering for Saïx had contributed greatly to that. Only he would know that the calm facade they saw belied what was going on underneath.

He needed Naminé's sketchbook – no, Naminé herself. She had drawn the scenes, doubtless she knew the truth behind them. She held the key to knowing exactly what had happened in them, what had happened and more importantly... who had taken his body and what they'd done with it. Perhaps she'd even be able to draw new scenes to find out what she hadn't sketched out yet.

He trusted Axel with the sketchbook for now. If he appeared to be getting into risky situations it would be worth retrieving it, hopefully without making Axel think he didn't trust him, just in case, but for now it was safe in his hands. That just left the choice of what to do now. Roxas, by his indications, was planning to leave today to retrieve his heart. Saïx, if he knew what was good for him, would not put Riku in his path.

No doubt he'd be put on heart collection, most probably on his own. Unlike Roxas, he would not appear to need chaperoning to make sure the job was done. Would they continue to leave the location up to him, picking for him only when surges happened? If they chose where he went, his ability to get out and continue his plotting would be severely curtailed.

Only one way to find out he reasoned, but no sooner had he left his room than Saïx appeared out of a corridor.

"Take this," he said, handing over a sheet of paper. "It details todays missions. Hand them out."

"Has something happened?"

"Roxas is attempting to depart. I intend to bring him back."

Without another word he disappeared again.

"Good luck there," Riku said without much conviction, then added, "To Roxas, of course."

He glanced over the sheet on his way to the Grey Area. Luxord was to go to the Beast's Castle in an attempt to lure Beast away from Belle. Saïx's own notes indicated this had been planned for Xaldin originally, who had already started to make some progress already outlined below, but with his untimely demise it was to be handed over to him.

Demyx meanwhile was being sent back to Olympus Coliseum to steal something called the Olympus Stone, with the corresponding notes indicating it could be found in the Temple of Zeus on Mount Olympus and a further note suggesting that Demyx was not to return empty-handed.

There was only a single line for him that told him either Saïx had not had time to pen in any details, or he was trusting Riku to pick a place and handle the duty without prompting.

"Convenient," he murmured, then entered the Grey Area where the two Nobodies awaited. "Roxas is attempting to depart," he informed them. "Saïx has moved to intercept and retrieve him, so it doesn't come as any surprise that I've been left to cover for him."

"What did I say yesterday?" Luxord chuckled. "Wish I'd made a bet on it now."

"There's no time for that. If Saïx is unsuccessful we'll be another member down, possibly two if Roxas destroys him, though I for one hope otherwise." He tore off the part of the sheet with Luxord's mission details on and handed it to him, then again for Demyx. "These are your missions. I advise you to do all necessary research before departing. Make sure you are fully aware of all details and possibilities, investigate the files on anyone you'll be dealing with. With so few of us around, we cannot afford to be unprepared. Move out when you are ready."

"Wait, what about you?" Demyx objected as Riku opened a corridor.

"Heart collection, of course," he shrugged. "The choice of where was left up to me, and I already know exactly where I'm going and what I need to be aware of."

Like use the time they'll use for preparation to forewarn those in the worlds they're going to. With a little luck, the Organization would be operating with a barest minimum, another portal would be destroyed with a third not likely to function properly without repairs. With the imminent loss of Roxas, the return of Ventus and Sora's awakening, things were not looking good for the Organization.

As he exited outside Beast's Castle in respect to his earlier request to use the doors, he said, "I love the smell of treachery in the morning," and headed inside, humming contently. The doors creaked loudly and made a hollow booming as they were closed again. An immense roar shook the castle as if in response to that. "Don't get excited Beast!" Riku called out. "It's only me. I've got to warn you about something."

Beast descended the staircases, first taking them three at a time due to his sheer size, then once he affirmed Riku's presence he simply vaulted the banister and stomped over to join him.

"The Organization again?" he growled. "They were here a few days ago. One called Xaldin."

"I know," Riku said. "He's not been terminated, but he's out of action possibly for good. His missions here have been turned over to another member though, Luxord, and his task is to try to drive a wedge between you and Belle. If you want, telling that Sora warned you about him – it's kinda true in a strange sort of way. Bit of a long story," he added, seeing Beast's puzzled look. "It's up to you whether you tell him or not, of course."

"What if he finds you here?"

"He won't," Riku laughed. "I told him to do his homework before he came here, look up anything he thought relevent. He'll be well informed, but since you'll know... anyway, I've got to stop by and warn someone else as well, then take care of my own mission so they don't realize I'm a traitor."

"Be careful they don't find you out," Beast growled. "And... thank you. For warning me. If you see Ansem, thank him too."

"I'm sure he'll appreciate it. Take care of yourself," Riku told him, then let himself out. Beast helped with the doors, seeing him off into the next dark corridor. Luxord would find it very difficult to deal with the temperamental Beast now, and if he dropped Sora's name they'd start to wonder if he was still in Dark City, or if he was hopping out to other worlds too. Perhaps he could capitalise on that if the Replica chose to assist him, passing information to him that he could then use to inconvenience the Organization.

Olympus Coliseum was going to have to be handled differently, he realised. Phil did not know the significance of the black coats or about the Organization, and he'd have to be careful to ensure Phil did not think Riku was on the same side as Demyx. Even if he technically was. He could tell the truth if he needed, but that would take time, and he wasn't sure how long he had. If Demyx was as quick and thorough at researching as he was at gathering intel, he'd only have limited time.

Phil was not in the courtyard when he arrived, nor was he in the lobby either. There was a sign hung in the doorway proclaiming the Coliseum to be closed, but voices echoed in. He ignored the sign, stepping over it to have a look.

Hercules was there, training under Phil, who was stood on the hero's back as he did push ups with one arm, apparently having little trouble at all. He did not seem surprised to see Riku, nor did he let up as he approached.

"Keep going, champ," Phil told Herc, then to Riku, "Thought you weren't gonna show up again?"

"It's just a flying visit. Are you by any chance familiar with something called the Olympus Stone?"

"My father and the other gods use it when they have to go down into the Underworld," Hercules said, not pausing in his training even to answer him. "Sometimes I do too. It protects the bearer against the effects of the Underworlds. Heroes and the like lose their power down there – goes with the territory."

"Why d'ya ask?" Phil asked. "Got some business with Hades?"

"Not as such. There's a guy running round pretending to be like Roxas and me, wearing the same kinda coat, except he's nothing to do with us. Word is he's planning to come by here and try to steal the Olympus Stone. I thought I should come warn you about it before I got to work myself."

Phil at last hopped down from Hercules' back. "That's enough for today, champ. You better go deal with this."

"Right," Hercules agreed. "Thanks for warning us... Riku, wasn't it?"

"If I'm not, I'm so good at impersonating him even I don't know it," he quipped.

"From what I heard, you and Roxas cleared up nicely in the preliminaries. Will you be there too?"

"Wish I could, but I've got other commitments I gotta see to first. Roxas is definitely gonna be there though, and he'll have a couple other friends going in with him. They're not the same as me, but it was the best I could do on short notice. I hadn't exactly expected to be in the Games at all, but Roxas kinda dragged me into it."

"That sounds like Ventus alright," Phil chuckled. "Go on Herc. Don't stand around all day, or you'll have to steal the stone back again."

"No chance of that with a true hero on the job," Hercules threw back as he left.

"I better get back on the job too," Riku added. "I'm not actually supposed to be here, but I had to make sure you knew about this."

"Good thing you did too. Stop by sometime when you've got more time, I'll see if I can fit you in for a bit of training too – you could be hero material if you work at it."

"Thanks for the offer Phil, but I've got a lot on for a bit. Might take you up on it later."

"Right. You get moving too, and don't be a stranger!"

Riku smiled back, then despite it being in front of Phil, headed straight into a corridor from there, pointing it toward Neverland. That would be where Roxas would retrieve his heart, and though Riku had never personally been there, he knew the way. He hadn't mentioned it to Roxas, but he reasoned that if he was busy mopping up Heartless, they'd be less inclined to give him trouble while he was seeing to his heart.

Two missions sabotaged, Roxas most likely well on his way to Neverland, Saïx probably in bad condition – he doubted he'd stick around to let Roxas terminate him – and one more act of sabotage just waiting for the hearts to make it happen.

"Treachery will get you everywhere," Riku chuckled.


	49. The Last Day

Neverland was the home of a certain Captain Hook, who had apparently found Kairi once before and if he recalled right, he still owed a favour to. With Maleficent's demise signalling the disbanding of her council, the possibly good captain had headed for home.

Since his ship was the only familiar thing in Neverland besides Roxas himself, Riku was not surprised to find his corridor had brought him to it first, where the captain himself awaited him.

"Oh," he said sounding disappointed. "It's only you again."

"Well that's nice," Riku remarked. "Were you expecting someone else?"

Hook grunted. "Those Organization fellows with Vexen keep showing up lately," he said, turning away. "Most keep to themselves, but there's a few who're always meddling, and that blonde haired boy is back."

"Ah, so Roxas made it here then. That's good to know."

"Good to know?" Hook exclaimed. "That little brat is responsible for decimating the Heartless here! How am I supposed to raise an army of them to deal with Pan if he's interfering!"

"Simple," Riku shrugged. "Don't. At least not yet. I need Pan intact for a while, at least until Roxas has managed to retrieve something from him, then you shouldn't have to worry about Roxas again. Unless the Organization comes back here, but so far it seems to be doubtful. They've lost interest, as far as I can tell."

"You... you're in league with them?"

"No, I just have plans that involve them," Riku replied, thinking quickly. "Certain things need doing in other worlds, and Roxas is the one I need to do them. Once he's gone you'll only have to worry about a certain Ventus who could show up if he finds out there's a gathering of Heartless here."

"And that's no help at all! Besides, the two are one and the same."

"You said what?" he asked, feigning puzzlement.

"Roxas and Ventus – they're the same boy. Ten years ago he came here and found Peter Pan. I uh... happened to be passing through and overheard them talking. Pan took Ventus's heart from him to protect it from something, then Ventus left. Next time I saw him was a month ago, wearing a coat like that and with someone else with red hair. Overheard them too, he said the last time he'd come here was as Ventus."

"So the intel on you was accurate after all. I imagine you know exactly what Ven is getting from Peter Pan then, and why I can't let you interfere with that."

"Are you threatening me boy?"

"I told you, captain. I need Ventus for certain things away from here. I'm here to protect my interests in him, that's all."

"Strange – I'm not concerned with _your_ interests! Get off my ship, or I'll throw you of meself!

Riku sighed. Hook was stubborn as ever, and just as short sighted too. Fortunately he could see the mainland from the ship's deck, so simply opened a corridor there.

"Don't think I'll forget this, Hook," he warned before he left. "You don't want to make an enemy of me."

The shores of Neverland made him feel oddly nostalgic. It was almost like being back home again. It was a different beach, a different shore, but the sound of the sea was almost identical. He missed them. Even though they had brought him, or at least Riku as he'd originally existed, to open the door so they could leave, he still missed the familiarity of the islands. He'd have to look in on Kairi sometime, and Zexion too while he was there. Now Ansem was gone for good, he should be able to go back.

He'd also have to see to preserving these islands too, he decided. No matter how much Hook wanted to handle Peter Pan, he couldn't let him do it with the Heartless. Had Sora ever come here, and if he had, did he lock the Keyhole? He'd never mentioned, but maybe he'd get those memories back with his other heart.

For now, knowing that somewhere here was Roxas and Pan, he reached out once again, finding the Heartless. The forest provided plenty of shadows he could extend his reach with, letting him cover vast distances to pull in any Heartless he could find.

Except, oddly enough, there weren't many, and they were already under the command of someone else. The dark touch on them was... familiar. It wasn't his own and it certainly didn't belong to Ansem. There was only one other he knew of who'd commanded them, but it couldn't be her...

He did find a slightly different dark-touched shadow that held an even more familiar scent, one he knew he'd never caught before but immediately put Roxas in his mind. Since the Heartless weren't going to help him here, he used Roxas as a signpost so he could catch up. He could have taken a corridor he knew, but the familiar sounds persuaded him to walk instead.

A well worn path led into the woods in the right direction, occasionally spotting one of the few Heartless he'd detected on the way. They ignored him entirely, seeming to be focused on something further ahead, sneaking into bushes to get closer, but also carefully avoiding certain parts of the route.

Riku found out why when he entered a clearing ahead only to have a rope snap around his leg and haul him up into the air with a startled cry. He was sure he heard a nearby Heartless snicker at him as the tree branch finally subsided.

"Oh boy," a voice came from somewhere. "We got one!"

"Lets see who it is!" another added. "Maybe we got Hook!"

Two boys came into view on the ground below him. It took a moment for his mind to recognise what it was seeing. One of them had dressed to look like a fox, and the other a bear. Probably. The blood rushing to his head made it hard to think.

"Say, he looks like Pan's friend," the fox boy said, staring up at him.

"Didn't he say to catch anyone what looked like him?" the other asked.

"I'm a friend of Ventus," Riku ventured. "He just doesn't know I was coming to find him."

"How do we know you're telling us truth?"

"You could go ask Ven," he suggested. "I promise not to go anywhere until you get back."

"I dunno," the fox boy said uncertainly. "We were meant to stop any bad guys who came, and he said that meant anyone with a black coat."

"I'm different," Riku assured them. "Trust me, Ventus will recognise me."

The two shared a further uncertain look.

"We-ell... okay," the bear boy said. "But only 'cause you promised!"

Then the two ran off into the clearing, disappearing behind the tree.

"Honestly, where do they think I'm going to go anyway?" Riku muttered, then looked up – or possibly down – with a "Huh?"

The tree must have been hollowed out somewhere, as a bright white light shone out of it. Riku winced back as it touched the shadows he'd forgotten he was still using, noticing that the Heartless had conveniently picked this side of the tree to hide on, as the light was blazing out of the other side. Then as suddenly as it started, it stopped. Tentatively he reached out again.

The sense of Roxas's presence had vanished. Or at least, the sense of a Nobody had vanished – he must have done what he came here to do.

Riku reached up and used the rope tied about him to hold himself up long enough to stop his head from pounding, hoping the two boys wouldn't come back and think he was trying to escape. Which he could have done, one quick slash and he'd be down in moments... but he _had_ promised them. Besides, they'd find Ventus for him.

Sure enough just moments after he'd lowered himself down again the voice of the fox boy came to him, "...just hanging right outside! He's got the coat and everything!"

"Relax, Slightly," Roxas's voice said reassuringly. Ventus's now, he mentally corrected himself. "By the sounds of it you just found Riku, that's all. You can trust him, he's a friend."

The two boys emerged from behind the tree and pointed to him.

"That's him, over there!" the bear boy insisted.

A third boy, somehow floating in the air wearing all green, came into view by flying out of the top of the tree. From what he knew of this world, Riku assumed that had to be Peter Pan.

Then Ventus emerged, on the ground like the boys. He'd discarded the coat, evidently returning to the way he'd looked ten years before. A white jacket over a black one, the white left open. Grey pants and similar shoes. Set on one shoulder was what appeared to be a piece of armour, green and grey.

"Didn't you trust me to handle this myself?" the newly restored Ventus asked Riku, looking amused.

"C'mon, aren't I allowed to drop in on my friends now?" Riku replied. "I thought I'd see if the local Heartless wanted to play, maybe keep them off your back, but there's only a few here."

"Yeah, we know about them," Pan said. "They've been watching me for years now, knew I had his heart safe in me, but no one ever taught 'em to fly so they never caught me."

"And I occasionally stop by to keep their numbers down," Ventus added. "Always have. Did Saïx send you here?"

"Actually it was my own idea. He was so busy trying to head you off he didn't give me any details to work with. Now d'ya suppose you could get me down from here?"

Ventus chuckled again, called out his Keyblade and just threw it at the rope, calling it back before it hit the tree behind. Riku hung in the air for a moment of consternation, then fell to the ground.

"Anything else I can help you with today?" he heard Ventus ask as he extricated himself from the bushes. When Riku looked up it was clear all three of them were trying not to laugh.

"Maybe later. I don't think I'd survive sticking around here any longer."

"Halloween Town," Ven said.

"What?"

"You want Heartless to destroy, right? Believe me when I tell you there's plenty there. If you meet Jack, tell him I said I'll be there for his Halloween Spooktacular, will you?"

"Just turn me into a messenger boy why don't you," Riku said with an exaggerated sigh. "Don't forget about tomorrow," he added, then turned aside into a corridor. Maybe the trip hadn't been needed after all, but then if he hadn't... those Heartless had been given new commands very recently. Something was up there as well.

* * *

><p>His day's quota met, instead of returning to the castle immediately, Riku made a side trip to the islands. It was late there of course, but he felt he needed to go home for a time.<p>

Halloween Town had been... interesting, to say the least. He should have taken the name – and mention of the 'Halloween Spooktacular' more literally though. He hadn't met Jack Skellington, but he'd managed to get a fair idea of what he was like, being the Knight of Nightmares – among other spooky titles.

He leaned against a tree the three of them had often gathered at in the evenings, taking Riku's spot because at least in name, that was who he was right now. Without Sora's memories and heart, it just didn't seem right taking the place that he still knew ultimately was the one he'd originally sat on.

It was as peaceful as ever. Nothing ever seemed to change here. The Paopu trees still bore fruit, their various treehouses and makeshift bridges and piers still needed the odd repair in places, but the islands never changed.

Before he at last chose to return to the castle he made a promise to the sleeping town across the bay, and more specifically to Kairi, that he would not return until he too was whole.


	50. Restoration

As Riku exited the corridor, as usual into the Grey Area, he was aware of three things. First, Xemnas was present, his expression a mystery. Second, smoke was rising from Dark City, and third, Demyx was here looking remarkably furious.

Axel leaned against the window behind them, completing the collection of remaining members. He glanced up at Riku with a warning look that the others did not see, then returned to patiently waiting for someone to need him.

"Did something happen?" Riku asked. "Besides the obvious."

"Luxord has been terminated," Saïx said. "And it appears an attempt was made on Demyx as well."

"An attempt?" Demyx demanded. "More like an all out attack – someone tipped off the locals! I barely made it back in one piece!"

"And Roxas?" Riku asked, as if he didn't already know.

"He has momentarily escaped us," Xemnas replied. "Though that is not the present issue. Two more portals have been destroyed, one tampered with most deftly. There remains only one fully functional one, and I have relocated it within the castle for its own safety. I will stand guard over that one myself."

"And what about me, huh?" Demyx spoke up again. "What're you gonna do?"

"You should think yourself lucky to still be with us thus far with your attitude," Saïx snapped. "At any rate, we must deal with Sora swiftly. We cannot ignore him any longer."

"Could Sora have been the one to alert the locals?" Axel asked. "You did say he showed up here. If he's come here once that we know of, who knows how many times he's checked in without our knowledge."

"It doesn't seem like the sort of thing Sora would do," Riku replied. "But I'll grant a lot of what he's up to lately doesn't really fit. If it was him, and he isn't acting too out of the ordinary, he's likely found a hole to scurry down until things settle down again. He's not fool enough to keep toying with a snake after irritating it."

"Then we must root him out," Xemnas decided. "We cannot proceed while he continues to compromise us."

Saïx stepped forward, looked them all over, then said, "Riku can pull double duty to cover for Roxas's departure, as long as we don't find and confront Sora. Everything else can be put on hold while we find him."

"You too, Saïx," Xemnas told him. "We can no longer afford the luxury of sitting back and watching others see to our goals. Continue your work with renewed vigour, Riku. If we can complete it, it will surely aid us in eliminating these inconveniences in addition to our true goals."

Riku said nothing. It looked almost like his diversion tomorrow wouldn't be needed, or if it was it would be much less of a threat.

Xemnas took the universal silence to mean there were no objections and with a single gesture indicating he wanted Saïx to join him, he turned and left.

"Better find Sora soon," Demyx muttered as he too left. "After all the work I put in this morning, put to waste... not gonna be happy if he outlives me."

Axel waited until they'd all left, then joined Riku.

"They know," he said quietly.

"Who does, and what?"

"Xemnas and Saïx. They know you're a Replica. I overheard them talking before Demyx arrived, and there's no mistaking it."

"And the original?" Riku asked.

"They didn't say."

"I need to know, Axel," he reminded him.

"Come with me," Axel said after a moment, leading him from the room. "Best we cover this while they're distracted."

"Then you've found something out?"

"Not here," Axel insisted. "I assume you're responsible for the tip-offs?"

Riku grunted assent. "I didn't expect to lose another member so quickly though – or Demyx's reaction. I'm just glad neither Herc or Phil let slip my name."

"You definitely need to be more careful. I had to move Zexion to Hollow Bastion this morning. My mission was actually to capture him, but as far as they know he wasn't there. Took me a few minutes to get through to Leon that I was on your side. Might want to check in and set his mind at ease."

"I might have a moment tomorrow. Depends on how things turn out."

"Just be careful, will you? I know he's still around, but I kinda feel the loss of Roxas already, and I don't want to lose another friend."

"Trust me Axel," Riku grinned. "I've come this far, haven't I?"

Axel chuckled, letting them into his own room, by far the tidiest of them all. It looked as if he barely used it.

He reached under the mattress to take out Naminé's sketchbook, flicking through pages marked with red tabs until he found the one he was looking for, then turned it to face Riku.

"Wait a moment," Riku breathed. "This looks like-"

"What just happened, right? They're all there, except for one. And you see who that is, stood in his place?"

"Me," Riku finished. "Xemnas... has my original body."

"Right. No way you're gonna be getting that back from him."

"I don't need to," Riku said after a few moments. "My body might be a fake, but _I_ am still real. When the time comes... he'll pay for this."

"Go ahead to the next tab," Axel prompted.

Riku turned the pages, flicking through several that looked like they dealt with Ventus until he came to the next one. On the first page he saw a drawing of him stood before Axel with the sketchbook.

"She knew this would happen," Riku said, seeing this.

"Other page."

Riku looked. It had been divided into four quarters, each one with a different drawing. One of him, no of Xemnas, stood before the remaining portal. It was hard to tell for certain, but it looked like he'd relocated it to the Altar of Naught.

Another showed Demyx battling Ventus, this time with allies. Not just Donald and Goofy, but Zexion as well. This too was somewhere in the castle. At some point, Ven would come back here and probably put an end to Demyx.

The third showed scene somewhere in the castle depicting Saïx and either Xemnas or Riku, it was impossible to tell which, or what they were doing. After a glance at the fourth panel he had a suspicion it was not likely to be a friendly meeting.

The last drawing showed both Riku and Xemnas, who still appeared as Riku. One was on the floor, clearly in bad shape, reaching out toward a heart-shaped moon. The other held arms wide, facing that same moon. There was no way to tell which of them was which.

"Axel," Riku said eventually. "I have a need to know more about Kingdom Hearts."

"Way ahead of you," he replied, handing him a book. "I took it out of the library as soon as I saw that drawing."

* * *

><p>Riku rose early. No longer just a habit, this was necessity. What he'd learned last night made him all the more determined to ensure all went to plan – to <em>his<em> plan. He needed to have DiZ delay his own actions, perhaps indefinitely if everything happened as he wanted, and he needed to pass a warning on to Ventus. A lot hinged on the actions of today.

Wasting time today was not acceptable. Timing was everything. First a corridor took him to the Grey Area, where naturally Saïx already waited.

"I know," Riku told him before he said anything. "I just wanted to let you know I found out something last night before I left."

"Is this really the time?"

"I think so. That Sora we've been seeing? I managed to corner him last night and get a few answers before he managed to escape again. He's one of Vexen's Replicas, Saïx. That's why he didn't trigger your alarms. The genuine article is still out there somewhere."

"And you know this how?"

"He told me so. That, and before I sent him to Castle Oblivion, I had Vexen tell me a bit about Replicas. I recognised a few signs. Now I'm out, I've got two quotas to meet, so I don't have time to spare here."

It was a risk, but one he was willing to take. It would if nothing else throw things further into disarray, and with Xemnas taking personal command and dictating missions to them all, even Saïx, every little would help.

Twilight Town was his next stop, dropping him off right outside the mansion where DiZ awaited him.

"Ventus?" he asked Riku, quickly turning to hurry into the mansion with him.

"No word since he retrieved his heart," Riku replied. "I have faith in him though. He'll be here. Naminé?"

"She finished early this morning. She's resting right now, but knows we may have to disturb her at any moment. What of the Organization?"

"I can't be sure if they're going to show," Riku answered. "I managed to throw more than a few spanners into the works yesterday alone. I've taken a little risk that might persuade them to put in an appearance."

"What? You want them to come?"

"Right. I've got a plan, but I need them to know Ventus is alive and kicking for it to work. I need you to reign in your need for revenge too, I'm afraid. I'm going to use their Kingdom Hearts, once, maybe twice before I set the whole thing free, and I'm not doing it for personal gain, on that you have my word. If anything happens to me though and I'm unable to make use of it, you'll have to be ready to step in with whatever plans you already had, so don't put them on a shelf just yet."

"You are playing a risky game, Riku. Kingdom Hearts is likely even more unpredictable than any singular heart."

"I'm fully aware of that Ansem," he replied, using DiZ's real name. "But if I don't do it, it'll be left there potentially forever, at the whims of whoever finds it. My actions will restore every last heart to their proper places."

"Then I wish you best of luck, Riku. I will continue to prepare, but I must admit... even I cannot claim to know the outcome."

"As long as it puts Kingdom Hearts back beyond the reach of anyone." He paused when they reached the two pods containing Donald and Goofy to say, "Just a little longer guys."

Ansem went on ahead, with Riku now following him.

"Naminé!" he called into the chamber Sora slept in. "The time has come! We must awaken them."

Naminé, who had been dozing in a chair jerked into wakefulness, spotted Riku and then caught up. She laid her hands on Sora's pod, causing light to spread out from it, tracing every line, every break between pieces. With a great creak of broken seals, the front of the pod opened outward like a flower blooming, revealing Sora already stretching and yawning inside.

"Well, about time," was all he said when he spotted Riku.

"Sora!" Donald called from the doorway. "And Riku too! Goofy, c'mon!"

"Hey, calm down," Riku laughed as the little duck leapt up at him. "Listen, I don't have much time here, so I can't tell you everything I wanted to. DiZ and Naminé will fill you in on everything until Ventus gets here. Now, Sora. Your mind all awake yet? I know what you're like when you've just got up."

"Oh, thanks," Sora laughed. "Like you were any better."

"Yeah, you're fine. You should know what you really are thanks to Naminé."

"Yeah. I'm a Replica of the real Sora."

"Huh? But if he's a Replica..." Goofy started.

"I'm the real Sora," Riku said. "Something happened, and now I'm both. I need you all to keep that a secret. My heart – that is, the real Sora's heart – is within you," he pointed to the Replica. "And I kinda need it back. You've got a choice here though."

"I know," Sora said. "Naminé gave me extra memories. The Keyblade you lent me, or by agreement. And I agree, it's time for you to have your other heart back."

There was a blinding flash, clearing to show a sphere of light in the air before Sora, gently floating down from the pod to Riku, then sinking into his chest with a second flash. In just a few moments he felt its warmth join that of his existing heart, along with a flood of memories return to him, his own memories, and memories of the Replica as well.

When the second flash cleared, Sora was holding the Keyblade of People's Hearts, extended handle first to Riku.

"Take it," he told Riku. "and lend me Soul Eater. Now you've got both your hearts, you can take up two."

"Right," he agreed, making the exchange. "Now I need you to go to Dark City. Try not to get destroyed if you can help it. They'll be looking for you, because thanks to me they think you're the one who's destroyed three portals and eliminated several members. Try to find out what they're doing outside their world and pass it on."

"Tip people off, got it. What if I get into a tight spot?"

"Run to Hollow Bastion. I'll talk with Leon and the gang if there's time, they should take you in. Now get moving, we're on short time here."

"What about us?" Donald asked. "Are we going with you?"

"I wish you could," Riku said as Sora vanished into his own dark corridor. "But I'm pretending to be a part of the Organization, so you've got to pretend I'm your enemy. I've arranged for someone you know to show up soon though, and I want you to go with him. Like I said, they'll explain everything. Last thing before I leave guys," he said to all of them. "As soon as he gets here, tell him this, word for word: Don't be afraid to complete Kingdom Hearts. I need it to happen. Got that?"

"We've got it memorised, don't worry," Naminé said. "You get going."

"See you again soon," Riku said, then he too left. He had no trouble opening a corridor, though perhaps that was because Riku's heart was used to it, and was therefore protecting Sora's.

He remained in Twilight Town and even in the mansion, but now headed to an upper floor, one that overlooked the gardens outside. A heavy white curtain prevented anyone outside from seeing in. He nudged it aside at one end to look out cautiously.

Ventus was already present, destroying Dusks outside the mansion gates. As it stood, it would make no sense for him to get involved just yet, he needed an actual member to show up. Using that thought as a cue, Saïx put in an appearance. Riku watched, trying to ensure he wouldn't be noticed.

The Dusks broke off their attack as Saïx almost casually strolled into the clearing, saying something he couldn't hear from here. Ventus responded hotly, throwing words back at the brick-wall of Saïx's impassive expression. Saïx muttered something to the Dusks and several of them disappeared.

One of them conveniently appeared behind him in a crackle.

"I know," he told it. "Don't tell anyone where you found me."

It vanished again. Riku himself, waited a few moments to simulate the effect of coming from further off, then opened his corridor to join Saïx.

"I just got word," he said as he exited, deliberately breathing hard. "Is he here?"

"Uh-oh," Ventus said ahead of them. "Reinforcements. Not good. I'm getting outta here!" He vanished, to Riku's surprise not into a dark corridor but one that appeared to have been formed from the light.

"Sora _was_ here somewhere," Saïx said afterwards as the Dusks disappeared. "He delayed us until the signal was lost however. The Dusks appear to know where he is. Return to your work, Riku. Leave Sora in my hands."

Saix now also departed into a corridor.

"Just as planned," Riku smirked. "Keep it comin'."


	51. Back from the Darkness

Riku did not stop in Hollow Bastion, except to apologise in passing to Leon on his way out of town. The highest concentration of Heartless was still between the town and the more distant remains of the original tower of Hollow Bastion, and with any luck he'd be able to exterminate a significant portion of them, while also netting hearts and making the town safer, thus benefiting everyone.

It also gave him the opportunity to grow used to wielding two Keyblades, and even used to the Keyblade of People's Hearts again. Ansem's creation of it seemed far off now. Soul Eater had been a passable substitute, but it was not the same thing.

During the fighting Leon joined in, swinging his Gunblade about with equal effectiveness once the Keyblades recognised him as an ally.

"Think you can handle this many?" Riku asked him, kicking once Soldier away, jabbing at two more, then turning back to impale the unfortunate Heartless on both Keyblades.

"You think I can't?" Leon replied. "Just don't let one more turn up."

"Then you'll have to leave that one to me, won't you? How's Zexion?"

"How did you find out about that?"

"Axel's a friend of mine. He's the one who brought Zexion to you."

Leon swiped at several more Heartless, emphasised with a particularly graphic remark.

"I guess he can be trusted then. We dropped him off at Merlin's. He understood the need to keep him held just in case it turned out to be a trick, so it doesn't look like he's much of a prisoner. He didn't half upset the Mickey Replica though – it started screaming names at him until Merlin put it to sleep again."

"Strange. I wonder why." Riku ducked under a strike from one Heartless, batting a fireball from another toward it, then straightened back up again and carried on. "What about Xaldin?"

"Dilan," Leon corrected. "You needn't have worried. He has no memories of any Organization or Xaldin. The last thing he remembers is someone he called Xehanort stabbing him with a Keyblade and an overwhelming feeling of darkness. We found others too."

"Others? What others?"

"One had a uniform like Dilan's, called himself Aeleus. Another had something similar, and had an eyepatch. Merlin knew him as a mercenary called Braig. The other one had a lab coat – he even sounds like a scientist, that Even."

"I'll need to see them at some point," Riku decided. "But it'll have to wait. I can't stick around for long once I've collected enough hearts."

"I thought you didn't want the Organization to reach their goal?"

"Plans changed. I intend to use it against them, or if there's no them left to use it against I'll set the hearts free. They deserve to be put back in their proper places, not used by anyone or turned into Heartless. Oh, by the way. I saw Sora recently. He apologised for that night back in Traverse Town. Said he was under someone else's influence. He might show up at some point needing sanctuary."

"I wish you'd consult us before using us as your private hospital, Riku," Leon complained.

"I don't usually have the time or the chance to do it. Get moving back to town, Leon. I'll be leaving soon, and once I do-"

"I know. Watch your back, Riku," Leon told him, then fought his way back out again.

"When don't I?" he muttered.

He ended up destroying a few more than he actually needed to get clear of them himself, but that was hardly a concern. Once he got far enough away and dismissed both Keyblades, the Heartless ignored him again.

Something nagged at him. He'd caught it all through the fight, but he hadn't paid it any attention. Now he was clear he focused, seeking it out. It was the scent of darkness, the same one he'd found in Neverland.

Riku eyed the mass of Heartless suspiciously and touched on some of the closer ones. They too had come into contact with the same darkness very recently, only here it was much more concentrated. After a moment's hesitation, he followed it through Heartless and more Heartless, tracing the path it had taken when the commands had been given.

Then it left the Heartless, shooting skyward, reaching back up to wherever the individual had been at the time, growing stronger all the while. It led up the remains of the tower, through several chambers that were no longer habitable and into one that was. Whoever it was, they were there right now.

Riku suspected he know exactly who she was, and he did not like the idea of it. Without hesitating he transported himself directly to that place, keeping Ansem's Keyblade in one hand. If he was right, she'd recognise it.

"So, Riku, at last you have returned to me," the familiar voice of Maleficent said as he exited the corridor to what looked like it had once been the chapel.

"I _thought_ so!" he exclaimed. "And in Neverland – those were your Heartless there too!"

"But of course. I had to keep watch on Ventus somehow. When he separated his heart, I commanded them to watch both. Now tell me Riku... why are you with that absurd Organization?"

"They have something I want," he shrugged. "They just don't know I plan to take it from them at the last moment."

"Kingdom Hearts," she agreed. "But when you are done with it... leave it for me. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be mine."

"Are you out of your mind, Maleficent? If I leave it for anyone, it'll be for the people who gave their hearts for it to be. You try to take it from me and I'll treat you like the Organization, except I won't manipulate you like I have been them. I don't know how you come back, and frankly I don't care. You've lied to me before, and I've got no reason to trust you. Interfere and I'll be the one striking you down this time."

"My, such force," she remarked cooly. "But we've had this argument before, Riku."

"Have we? About the lies you told me? About who it was who found me in the Realm of Darkness? About what Vexen did before he left you to me? Do you even know what he did before then? What I am?"

"Fool, boy! Of course I know – I was the one who asked him to do so! Think back in your memories, to the islands – who was it who gave the original Riku the idea for you _all_ to share that fruit?"

Riku hadn't even thought of that. He paused, taken off guard as he rummaged back. Riku had been in the cave by the door, the day before they'd shared the Paopu. Someone had been there, concealed but with a familiar voice.

"Vexen," he said eventually. "He... why?"

"Because I told him to," Maleficent answered. "You were not the first to experience the effects, Riku. He obtained a Paopu for me, and I experimented with others, observing the effects. They happened differently because of the heart of that Princess of Light... but they occurred."

"But why? Why would you do this to me? To us?"

"What better secret agent then one that spends his time sleeping within another? But of course, I already knew it would be impossible were you left alone to draw out either side of you enough to make a visible difference. Vexen was already working on his Replica program, using data we had already collected on you. He believed he could change a Replica to remove you from your own body, and then react to the subtle voices of command. Of course we kept you in the dark about it – if you had known, you'd be able to appear as Sora at will."

"I found that out myself," Riku told her. "After I had Sora get rid of you."

"Indeed. But not before I had used you to do my bidding. And I can do so again – if I should wish. Now, do be a good boy Riku and bring me Kingdom Hearts-"

"Forget it. Kingdom Hearts is mine. As for trying to control me... try it at your own risk. In fact, don't even bother with it – I'll just get rid of you again now!"

He lunged, but Maleficent simply laughed and faded away in her green fire, unharmed.

"Soon, you and all others will answer to me!" her voice echoed back. "When Kingdom Hearts is mine, I will reward you for all your work, Riku. But side against me, and I shall strike you down and force you to kneel as my slave. Decide wisely, Riku."

Riku took a few moments to try to control himself, then gave up and with a few strikes destroyed an inoffending wall. The tower shook slightly afterwards.

"Another time Maleficent," he growled, then decided pulling more than double quota wouldn't hurt anyone. There were still plenty more Heartless waiting for him.

* * *

><p>Xemnas stood guard at the head of the stairs leading to the Altar of Naught. Behind him was the complex machine that maintained the portal, and beyond that, Kingdom Hearts waxed ever more full. A slight tug on the darkness and Riku saw the hearts soaring up in a great torrent. In his fury he'd eliminated every last Heartless from Hollow Bastion, even going so far as to reach out and command the last of them to come to him to finish the job.<p>

He was exhausted from the effort, but in the long run it could well have been worth it. The sooner Kingdom Hearts was complete, the sooner he could set it free.

Xemnas opened his eyes at the sounds of Riku ascending the steps toward him, but said nothing, merely watching. Riku wordlessly joined him, resting his arms on the edge of the portal to peer into its depths. It showed him fighting furiously earlier, but just like the first portal occasionally it showed another figure, too hard to make out many details.

"Maleficent has returned," he told Xemnas. "She seeks to claim Kingdom Hearts for herself. She escaped before I could deal with her."

"We need not be concerned," Xemnas replied, continuing his vigil. "At the rate you have been going, she will not find her way here in time to stop us."

"I was a little provoked," he conceded. "I took it out on them."

"If only we could share in that."

"Soon enough, Xemnas. Has Saïx told you Ventus has shown up again?"

"He has. How are you aware of him?"

"He's Roxas – or at least, Roxas was him. I had to do a little research to find out for sure. It seems Ven hid his heart with another boy in Neverland, and if what I overheard is correct, he retrieved it yesterday. I understand you have plans for him?"

"Yes. Though they are more in the nature of a contingency plan. The boy may be used to summon Kingdom Hearts. He was once used so before – it was the purpose for which my original being took him in and trained him. That created a legendary blade, one which puts all Keyblades to shame. Only he and Master Aqua, the woman you occasionally see within the portal, know how to reach it."

"You know where it is then?"

"Castle Oblivion," Xemnas nodded. "That was the true goal behind the operation there. To locate the Chamber of Repose and retrieve the legendary blade. If I could but lay my hands upon it... we would not have to wait so long, nor proceed thus."

"And deprive you of the chance to work with me? Get real," Riku said lightly. Xemnas even managed to smile fainly. "I'll keep a lookout for Ventus while I'm out collecting hearts. I doubt we can trick him into collecting hearts, since he probably retains his memories as Roxas, but I'll see what I can do to lure him into it. I might travel to a few worlds and threaten them with Heartless. If I know him, he'll rush off to save them. It'll effectively put him back on duty again."

"Don't fall behind, Riku. If we can complete it..."

"I know. Just one favour, Xemnas? Let me ask it for my reward before you do anything else?"

"We will see," Xemnas replied. "Depending on what happens. Go to bed, Riku. You have a lot of long days ahead of you."


	52. Trust and Distrust

He awoke. Riku's room again. He could feel this time too. He's retrieved the missing heart.

But there was something else. Not quite clouding, not like Maleficent's touch. Something on the edge of his awareness, reaching out to him, mentally nudging him in a certain direction.

Sora thought for a moment. He didn't like the idea of being used again, but if someone was trying to use him against Riku... this time he'd tip Riku off, he decided.

He kept Riku's appearance, in case he ran into any of the Organization while here. He didn't want to be mistaken for his own Replica. A few moments to put on Riku's coat and Sora was outside in the unfamiliar brightness of the Organization's castle.

The nudging at his mind guided him though. Sora dipped into Riku's memories, frequently finding identifying areas. When he reached the tall staircase he knew who was reaching out to his mind, and where he was going.

Xemnas still stood at the head of the steps, eyes once again closed as he stood guard, appearing unaware of all about him. No doubt that was just an act. After confirming there was no one coming, Sora nudged himself into his own appearance, though much of it remained masked by the coat itself, then ascended.

"So you're the one," he called ahead. "Didn't think you could just talk me into whatever you wanted, huh?" Xemnas merely looked at him curiously. "Did you think I wouldn't notice your touch?" Sora went on, tapping the side of his head. "Had enough of that with Maleficent."

"Remarkably resistant," Xemnas murmured. "Riku?"

"Dreaming of Kairi," Sora shrugged. "What do you want?"

"Watch him. If he no longer acts in our best interests, take over."

"What's in it for me?"

"Wouldn't you rather have your own existance separate from him? Kingdom Hearts can surely overcome this."

Sora dipped again into Riku's memories, looking for something he'd noticed before.

"Too late," he said when he found it. "That's what he planned to ask it."

"So he's aware of you. Very well. If you will do this, I will see to a reward of your choice, Sora. Simply prevent him from acting against our interests."

"Seems to me like you don't trust him," Sora said, staring into the portal almost identically to Riku. "And he's done such good work for you and all. Don't think he'd take it well if he thought you couldn't trust him. After all, most of that up there was done by him. Found out about my Replica too. Handled things for Saïx for a while. Don't see why you don't trust him."

"Merely a precaution. We failed to take adequate precautions with Roxas, and he escaped us. We cannot afford to lose Riku too."

Sora shook his head. "Sorry, Xemnas. Get someone else to do your dirty work for you. I'm not interested. Which stands to reason," he went on. "Since I'm a part of Riku, and I'm just as loyal to him as he is to himself. I don't really have a choice in the matter. You can expect him to have heard about this come morning."

If that bothered Xemnas, he concealed it well. He didn't even so much as blink.

* * *

><p>Riku rose, feeling the same slight lethargy he always felt when his other half had decided to get up in the night. There could be no mistaking it even if he hadn't felt that, since Sora had left him looking like Sora, and even left a note sticking out of one of his gloves for him.<p>

Sora's scrawling was plain enough even blurred by the last vestiges of sleep. Either Xemnas felt he no longer had reason to trust him, or he really was taking precautions. Sora had noted he didn't trust this.

"You wouldn't," Riku muttered to himself, restoring his own appearance.

He didn't bother to stop to tell anyone where he was going. Despite Sora's misgivings and Xemnas' attempt to turn Sora into an unwilling spy, Riku reasoned that as long as he appeared to be doing what they wanted, they had no reason to be concerned.

For now at least, the Organization's goals coincided with his own. They both wanted Kingdom Hearts. The fact that Riku intended to set it free once he was done with it made little difference.

Where to go today though? There was no shortage of worlds, just some he had to avoid, and others that had no point to them. With No Heartless in Hollow Bastion it wasn't a likely destination, and with much of Atlantica being underwater, he was too limited to go there on his own.

He eventually settled on one of the worlds Ventus had told him about, Enchanted Dominion – Maleficent's homeworld. Even if she was no longer there, no doubt the Heartless were there in force. It had been where she had begun her attempt to conquer all worlds, and due to that it had to be very close to the Realm of Darkness. The appearance of two Keyblades there would be a lure no self-respecting Heartless could possibly resist.

His corridor deposited him in an empty hall, reaching up to great vaulted heights above. Two thrones sat unoccupied behind him, while among the various doors a long staircase led higher up. It was otherwise devoid of activity.

Except until, interestingly enough, a second corridor opened nearby. Riku watched with curiosity. No one should know where he was. The Organization should be searching for Sora in Dark City, and Ansem... well, he was likely in Twilight Town, forging ahead with his own plans. Ventus was using corridors of light, not darkness – that would have given him away. So who was coming here?

Riku used the corridor itself to conceal him from whoever was using it. He almost pulled up the hood of his coat, but for what reason? He could be out in another corridor before the arrival knew he was even there.

Someone emerged on the other side of the corridor, which obligingly closed. Riku soundlessly started to creep closer to the nearest throne in case he had to hide behind it, then stopped when the corridor had vanished.

"Axel!" he exclaimed, startling him. "What are you doing here?"

"Don't do that to me! Startled the life outta me. What're _you_ doing here?"

"That's a stupid question – what else would I be doing?"

"Right," Axel agreed. "Sorry. Shoulda thought of that. Anyway, I'm here tracking down a tracker signal that came this way."

"A tracker? On who?"

"Funny thing, that. Saïx told me it belonged to the true Sora, not that Replica we've been chasing."

"But I'm-" Riku broke off. He hadn't told Axel yet. "Axel, how do you track these signals?"

"Just a touch of darkness, why?"

"Bear with me a moment. Where is it coming from right now?"

Axel focused momentarily, then extended one lanky finger toward him.

"Don't think I don't know what it means, either," Axel said. "I must be the only one who's figured it out."

"Figured what out?" Riku asked warily.

"That _you_ are Sora. And Riku. That's what happens when too many people share one of those fruits, isn't it? Oh, come on," he went on when Riku said nothing. "I'm not gonna tell anyone."

"Where did you find out about it?"

"Found a few more things in Vexen's old room. Did you know he did some experiments to find out more about Paopu fruits? He's a scientist, and scientists always keep detailed notes."

Riku thought quickly. Maybe this was why Xemnas had tried to get Sora to watch him – they'd discovered this nugget themselves. Somehow, this tracker of theirs had worked on the heart, not the body – or it had been attached to him when he'd retrieved it. Either way, he had to get rid of it.

"Axel, can I trust you?" he asked. Axel gave him a flat look. "Alright, silly question, but if I find out you've told someone..." Riku left it hanging and opened another corridor. "Come with me."

"Don't you have a job to do?"

"It can wait," Riku replied shortly. "I can't allow them to make use of this. If they know where I am, they'd soon discover I get involved in a lot more than simple heart collection. I can't afford that."

"If they hear I've got caught up in this..."

"Go find Ventus then. I'm sure he'd love to have you by his side. We already know Zexion is likely to soon enough. I might have to nudge him a bit while we're there."

"Hollow Bastion then."

Riku grunted assent, quickly exiting the corridor. He'd taken a chance, forming it outside Merlin's house. Yuffie and Cloud were both stood guard waiting as he emerged.

"No time to explain, he's with me," Riku said, not stopping as he headed right into Merlin's house, only to remember he had no direct way to Merlin's basement. "Merlin! I need you!" he called out.

"Can't I get a moment's peace around here?" Merlin complained, appearing with a cloud of magic sparks. "Oh, Riku and, uh..."

"Axel," Riku finished. "He's with me, don't worry about him. Merlin you remember I mentioned a tracker once and you said your magic would nullify it? I need that done to me right now, and while I'm here I might as well check in with the others we brought here."

"Well, we might as well handle everything at once," Merlin replied, already waving his hands in magical gestures. Another of his magical teleportations, and they stood in the basement. Mickey's Replica looked down from the spells still holding him, giving Riku a look of undisguised hatred.

Zexion was in a cell, but a remarkably well-furnished one. Leon had been right, he was not exactly a prisoner as such, it was more a precaution. He gave them a nod before returning to the book he was engrossed in.

"Is it-"

"Gone entirely," Merlin finished cheerfully. "Just a slight difference to the usual spell handles it."

"He's right," Axel agreed. "I can't find it any more."

"Thanks, Merlin. You can let Zexion go too, he's safe. What about the others?"

"Dilan and Aeleus have taken up the task of guarding the town alongside Leon and Cloud," Merlin answered. We've not been able to wake Even for more than a few minutes at a time. Zexion's been looking into it."

The Replica above them snorted.

"Shut up," Riku told it absently, moving to join Zexion and even unlocking the cell with one Keyblade to save time. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"

"Not yet," he replied. "Give me time."

"You might not have time, but Even can wait if necessary. I don't know how up to date you are, so here's some news for you. Roxas, who as you suspected is in fact the same Ventus who saved you has retrieved his heart and is Ventus once more. He's turned on the Organization because I needed him to, and is likely out and about fighting Heartless. Don't be afraid to complete Kingdom Hearts – same thing I told him. I need it completed so I can steal it from the Organization and use it against them before I set it free again."

Though still a Nobody, Zexion's face lit up at the prospect of seeing Ventus again.

"Maybe I can leave him then," he said thoughtfully after a moment. "At least he'll be catching up on his sleep. I'll go with him, but Riku... what are you planning to do with Kingdom Hearts?"

"Just a few little things. Something for the people who have helped me, something for someone tied to me. I don't want to be too specific."

"Will you ask it to restore me – like them, but with my memories intact?" then after a glance to Axel, "And him as well. We're both Ventus's friends, and-"

"A friend of his is a friend of mine. I'll see that something gets done for you," Riku promised. "Now, Axel – you and I had better get back to work. Saïx isn't going to like finding out you lost that signal, so lets not tell him right away. You can come help me destroy some Heartless instead."

"Ever noticed how he thinks of everything?" Axel asked Zexion. "Remind you of anyone?"

"If I didn't know better, I'd say some of Ven rubbed off on him," Zexion agreed.


	53. Captured Copy

Axel accompanied Riku back to Enchanted Dominion and helped remove a considerable number of Heartless alongside him, but ultimately returned to the castle before him so as not to raise suspicions. He'd had no problems about lying to Saïx and was quite happy to turn on the Organization the moment Ventus showed up – even going so far as to suggest he'd create a way in for him if he didn't already have one.

Ventus's Corridors of Light were probably more than sufficient for that though, Riku reasoned. No doubt Donald and Goofy could traverse them safely alongside him as well. It would save him the trouble of having to fly from world to world by Gummi Ship, and prevent the Organization from trying to put something in his path.

Not long left, he knew. Axel had found the one book in the library that had probably started the Organization on their path in the first place, going into great detail about Kingdom Hearts and even the possibility of what they were doing.

Each world had a heart of its own, formed from the hearts of all those who resided there, even if they were on another world. And just like World Hearts, Kingdom Hearts was the heart formed from the hearts of all worlds.

The Organization had elected to bypass this stage. If people's hearts could give a world a heart, why not go one step further and simply form Kingdom Hearts from them? It would need vast, uncountable hoards of hearts, many times more than what the Heartless alone could provide. No doubt they had been guided into collecting even more hearts.

Then through Roxas, now Ventus, and him, the Keyblade released those hearts, freeing them from their existence as a Heartless. They gathered in the space between the realms of Light and Dark, unless by sheer chance they strayed toward the Nobody they had once belonged to.

Xemnas had created the portals to collect them before that happened, sending them soaring into their own skies without giving the hearts time to find even an incorrect Nobody. And there in great enough numbers, they formed first a World Heart, but now Kingdom Hearts.

Xemnas had penned in a number of notes in the back of the book, along with several calculations in a spiky spider-scrawl script. His handwriting was not easy to read, but Riku had stuck with it. He'd not been able to produce exact figures, but he had a fair idea of how many hearts they would need and even how long it might take.

They were very close now. A few more days like today, and it would be complete. And then he could get to work putting things right.

"No more night-time trips, Sora," Riku murmured to himself, hoping Sora would notice. They'd need their sleep.

* * *

><p>He was woken the next morning, not by his usual habits but by someone hammering at his door.<p>

"Riku, you gotta get up!" Demyx was shouting through. "Saïx needs you down at the bottom of the castle, right away!"

"Tell him to keep his hair on, I'm on my way," Riku called back, grumbling to himself. It was definitely earlier than usual for him. What did he want so urgently he had to wake him up?

Still muttering complaints under his breath he got up, got mostly dressed and was in a corridor in a few moments, still putting on the coat but protected enough from it not to have to worry. He paused before exiting, trying to hear what was going on, but there weren't any sounds out of the ordinary. At least not yet, anyway.

Outside was the basement of the castle, complete with the only way in for those who didn't command the corridors. It was clearly deserted.

"Come out, Saïx!" he barked. "What do you want with me?"

The echoes crept into the castle and back again, leaving an oppressive silence.

"If this is some kinda joke..." he muttered irritably. There was no activity on the route into the castle, he could see that from here. Instead he moved closer to the long route leading down into Dark City beneath.

Saïx and Demyx were on either side of Sora, frog-marching him up the route. Sora was struggling all the while, slowing their progress as he refused to simply accept his situation. On the way up he gave Riku a familiar 'it wasn't me' kind of look.

Neither one of them said a word as they practically dragged Sora up into the castle, throwing him unceremoniously into a heap at Riku's feet.

"Couldn't help it," Sora breathed, just loud enough for Riku to hear, then louder, "You again? Thought you didn't want to play any more?"

"Where did you find him?" Riku asked, apparently ignoring this.

"Where else?" Saïx replied. "If he had been more aware, he would have noticed the trap he was walking into."

"Some trap," Sora snorted. "You hiding in an alleyway? If it weren't for that coat I'd have seen you right away."

"Shut up," Riku told him. "I'll deal with you in a moment. What happened, Saïx?"

"He sneaked up behind me after I'd passed and whacked me round the head with that stupid great Claymore of his," Sora supplied.

"A shame you have such a thick skull, else I would have knocked you out and done us all a favour," Saïx observed coolly. "Were it not for Demyx's arrival, he would have escaped me in the following battle."

"And?" Riku prompted.

"What more do you expect there to be?"

"You said you wanted to question him, if I recall. Didn't you?"

"He refused to answer me. I decided it was better to leave it to one who knew him better."

"Except you forgot to do anything else to me," Sora said, pushing himself back to his feet. "All I gotta do is pick up a corridor or something and-"

"And what?" Riku asked. "Any one of us can stop you before you act. No, you'll stay right here. Do we have a prison anywhere around here, Saïx? Some place with stout bars that blocks out darkness?"

"Demyx, see to it," Saïx said. "Adapt a cell to Riku's request. I will remain here with him. You wouldn't expect me to leave you alone with an unbound and dangerous prisoner, would you Riku?"

"Don't be silly," Riku replied, waiting for Demyx to leave. "What were you up to, Sora?"

"As if you didn't already know!" he snorted. "Can't have you going around nicking all the hearts, can I? That's wrong, that is. Thought you'd have better sense to get mixed up with them, but you don't listen to me, do you?"  
>"They have something I want, I have something they want," Riku shrugged. "It's a fair dealing."<p>

"So that's why you sabotaged the portals then? Why you tipped off the locals at Olympus Coliseum and Beast's Castle?" Riku knew he didn't have all the information. He had to try to provide it so Saïx wouldn't suspect, and so Sora could act believably.

"Well of course. Less of you, easier to deal with. How many you got left now, four? And I know at least one of you isn't loyal too. Passing me information all the time, how else would I know where to find you?"

"Axel," Saïx said. "I've known about Demyx's whereabouts. I can place him at any time you care to name. Xemnas, of course never moves, and you are always busy with heart collection."

Riku shook his head very slightly, hoping Sora would catch on.

"Dunno any Axel," Sora said, noticing. "But I'm hardly gonna tell ya who he is. He'll be here before long, just you wait and see. Can't do anything to me that'll make me tell you-"

"Roxas then," Saïx interrupted. "He must still be coming here without our noticing. So... he is coming back once again. Can you handle him, Riku?"

"What's on your mind?" Riku asked.

"I must inform Xemnas, and make some... preparations. If Roxas returns, we should be ready for him."

"Good idea. Leave Sora with me. The only way he's escaping is if he overpowers me, and after your fight with him there's no chance of that. I'm sure he'll be only too happy to cooperate if he wants to continue to exist."

Sora stared down the Keyblade of People's Hearts at him.

"I think I'd better behave," he said weakly.

"I knew I could count on you, Sora," Riku smiled. Saïx nodded, then departed into a corridor of his own. "Finally. I thought he'd never leave," he said, putting the Keyblade away again. "What actually happened?"

"I got careless," Sora admitted. "Kinda happened exactly as he said. He didn't give me a chance to escape. What're you gonna do, lie about being beat up or something?"

"No, I'm going to throw you in the cell anyway. I'll see what I can to do persuade Saïx not to hurt you – I need you intact still. Knowing where you are will make things easier for me when I pull Kingdom Hearts out from underneath them."

"I can't help if I'm locked up, Riku," he protested.

"Don't worry," he grinned back. "You will be helping. I know what I'm doing." Another corridor started to open nearby. "Quickly – turn around and give me your hands," he muttered. Sora obliged, allowing him to take hold of his hands as if restraining him. "Struggle a bit," he added.

"I thought we were meant to be friends, Riku," Sora demanded, making some show of trying to break Riku's hold on him.

"As they say, all's fair in love and war," Riku replied, with Demyx returning nearby. "Now unless you want to be knocked out, stop that. Is that cell ready, Demyx?"

"Yeah – just take this corridor back again. You... want a hand there?"

"I've got him. I'm more wary of his tricks than you are. Just come along with us and be ready to put him away will you?" Riku told him, shoving Sora toward the corridor. He put on an admirable show, given that the one heart he'd had was now resting safely in Riku, where it belonged.

Once on the way he actually did, by accident, get loose and tried to make a break for the corridor's entry portal. Riku just threw a Keyblade after him to trip him up, then picked him up bodily instead.

"Put me down!" Sora demanded, pounding futilely on his back, though not hard enough to actually hurt, he noticed.

"Certainly – when we get to your new home," Riku threw back. "Hope you're ready, Demyx. You'll have to make sure we get him into the cell and he doesn't have a chance to escape again."

"Just throw him and close the door after him then," Demyx suggested. "No chance of it then."

Riku grunted under Sora's weight. For a Replica, he certainly weighed and felt like the real thing. Riku had once done something similar to Sora back on the islands, though it had been for different reasons.

The prison turned out to be a simple stretch of corridor that had four cells on either side, each one with thick, heavy set bars except where the doors were – doors that gave every impression of being as mobile as a mountain.

Riku heaved Sora off his shoulder and into the cell, helping Demyx close the door as Sora tried anyway to get out before it locked. Riku just pushed him back through the nearest gap.

"If I get outta here, you're gonna pay for this Riku!" he threatened.

"Sure you are, Sora. Sure you are," Riku replied. "Now if no one minds, I'm going to go back to bed and get some more sleep. It's far too early to be morning yet."

"You're as bad as Axel," Demyx remarked. "If he's not working he's almost always trying to sleep."

"Nothing wrong with getting some extra sleep," Riku replied. "As long as you do what you have to."


	54. A Technical Mystery

Riku rose for the second time, at least this time more naturally. Just another day.

"You wish," his reflection said as he glanced in the mirror. Riku paused and looked back.

"Sora?"

"Who else?" it answered, shimmering into his appearance. "Don't worry. I didn't affect you."

"I wasn't worried as such. Now they've got your Replica-"

"Yeah, they won't be looking for me as such. Are you really going to try and do something about this using him?"

"Yeah, why?" Riku asked.

"Be honest with me – what's your _real_ name? And mine too, for that matter?"

"Alright, so I sorta stole your name," Riku conceded. "What of it?"

"He's _my_ Replica, Riku," Sora said. "That is, the Replica of Sora as he was right _after_ you woke up. Which means technically, he's a Riku Replica, using your original name."

"Get to the point, Sora. What are you trying to say?"

Sora sighed, throwing his hands up. "Honestly, it's like talking to an idiot. Here we go then, answers for dummies it is."

"Sora!" Riku exclaimed.

"Hush! You want people to think you're talking to yourself?" Riku shut up. "Right. Now listen very carefully. I shall say this only once. In all truth, you are Sora. You might have the appearance of the original Riku, you might have his name, but you are still Sora. That Replica calls itself Sora. It's has the appearance you originally does. That means that if you ask Kingdom Hearts to do anything, you're going to become the real Riku afterwards, and that heart you went and got back along with me will take up residence there as Sora."

"So we'll have exchanged places," Riku shrugged. "What of it? Wouldn't you rather be your own person again instead of having to live as a part of me?"

"Of course, I just wanted to make sure you knew about it. I suppose I thought maybe you'd think about having it put you back in your proper place."

"After all the trouble I've been to? Let you have your name back and take all the credit? You must be joking."

Sora chuckled, then faded out, leaving his own reflection looking back at him uninfluenced by Sora.

Once he let himself out into the corridor beyond he heard Sora's voice again, this time yelling, "C'mon, don't you feed your prisoners anything! How's about some breakfast down here?"

"How am I supposed to sleep with that noisy brat screaming his head off," Axel complained, joining him. "And when did we end up with him in the cells anyway?"

"Saïx captured him this morning," Riku replied. "We're keeping him locked up so we can keep an eye on him."

"Yeah, that's what he said too. You and I are off together today. Saïx needs some specific work done today, and he reckons it'll go better with the both of us."

"As long as there's some hearts in it for me," Riku shrugged. "Well, for you guys anyway, I've already got mine."

"And don't we know it," Axel replied. "Come on, lets get going. First stop Hollow Bastion, and maybe we'll be able to escape the notice of the locals."

He let Axel form the corridor, knowing that it would protect him from even more of the effects than if he'd done it through Riku's heart. Besides, he'd had more practice.

"Any idea what Ven's been up to?" Axel murmured once in the corridor.

"No idea," he replied similarly. "I've not had the chance to check in on anyone lately. We can ask the gang when we arrive if they've seen him."

"Hope so. I'm thinking of using this as a cover for doing a disappearing act. I'd rather not get caught by mistake."

"Don't worry, Axel," Riku said easily. "I've got a plan. I don't intend to be the one on the floor while Xemnas talks to the moon – that'll be me."

"I hope you're right, Riku. If Xemnas gets hold of it... well, I don't think he'll be sharing it lightly."

They emerged into bright sunlight, momentarily blinding them until they used the shadow of a nearby building to cover it.

"Like I said, Axel. Leave it to me. We'll stop by Merlin's place on the way to wherever we've been sent."

"Up there," he pointed to the severely damaged remains of a castle on the hill. "The research laboratory of Ansem the Wise. Broke into there once with Isa for a laugh. We got thrown out, but not before we'd seen what they were up to." He sighed, then went on, "That was what drove Isa back, and what lost us our hearts. Ansem – that's the Ansem you defeated, Xehanort's Heartless – used a Keyblade on us as punishment for it."

"Keyblade... this Keyblade?" Riku asked, calling the one Xemnas had given him.

"Yeah. That's the one. No way I'd forget seeing that. That's the strange thing though – Xemnas told us several times he couldn't take up a Keyblade, because that ability had stayed with his Heartless. So how could he have given it to you?"

"Maybe that thing he stole from me allowed him to?" Riku suggested, not speaking openly about it as they passed Dilan standing guard at one edge of the marketplace. He gave no indication he recognised them. "After all, I can do it, and I picked it up on the islands."

"Could be. Won't matter either way once you've dealt with him."

Riku merely nodded, content in the knowledge that at least here in Hollow Bastion, he had no need to hide or pretend.

"Axel!" a voice yelled from ahead.

"Uh-oh," Axel managed before Ventus tackled him to the ground. Donald and Goofy followed, weapons showing when they spotted the coats, but Riku shook his head.

"Don't worry," he told them. "He's a friend."

"He's my _best_ friend," Ven corrected. "What're you guys doing here?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," Riku said depreciatingly. "Sent to all corners of the universe for every last heart-carrying Heartless around. Same old."

"Oh, hey – you know who else is here?" Ven asked excitedly, pulling Axel back up. Without giving him a chance to reply he went on, "Zexion's here too! Someone brought him here from Destiny Islands."

"Imagine that," Axel said blandly. "I wonder who could possibly have brought him.""

"I imagine I'm gonna have a hard time keeping your attention," Riku remarked. "How about you tell me what Saïx needed us to do, and I'll take care of it? I'll even come up with a story for him if you want."

"Story? For what?" Ven asked.

"What do you think, numbskull," Axel replied, rapping on his head. "I'm coming with you. Someone's gotta keep you outta trouble. Here," he went on, fishing a few bits of paper out of one pocket, sorting through to hand one to Riku. "That's the details. I'll let the locals know how to counter them so there's no lasting effects from it."

"Sure thing. Just make sure they know to do it after I've gone. Saïx can't chew me out about what I wasn't here for."

* * *

><p>The notes Saïx had given Axel were about as simple as they got. Apparently he didn't rate Axel's technical capabilities too highly, which was probably just as well now he'd found the computer of Ansem the Wise and had absolutely no idea what he was doing either.<p>

"Protecting your research is all well and good Ansem, but you're not being very helpful," Riku muttered, trying to make sense of the display. It was supposed to be a few commands, but somehow even they were proving troublesome. If he could even find how and where to give them to the stupid thing.

He tried again. One of the things on the screen had to be the one he was looking for. If he even recognised it when he saw it... that was another matter.

"You seem to be struggling," Ansem's voice came as he strode into the room.

"Either you're a mind-reader or you've got some very good timing," Riku replied.

"Oh, I think we can chalk this up to coincidence. I merely needed a few things from my old system. I had not expected to see you here, however."

"Yeah, well Saïx sent me here to take care of a few things. According to the mission notes I have to put these," he pointed to two lines of nonsensical words. "Into here somehow, and it's supposed to take me to another world."

"And then extract the Heartless from it?" Ansem guessed.

"No, not exactly. Once I'm in there I have to locate..." he perused the notes again. "Someone named Tron and have him help me activate a... Heartless Manufactory. That does something which creates Heartless here, and those are what I've gotta work with."

"Heartless Manufactory? That must be something Xehanort added... certainly it is nothing of mine. By the mere sounds of it, Tron would attempt to stop you on general principles."

"You know who he is?"

"But of course, Riku. He is a security program that came with the system I installed on that computer. The world to which you refer is a virtual world known as the Dataspace. There, he appears much as we do here. As a program however, he obviously cannot leave. He has no form here."

"Why would he try to stop me?"

"Among the systems are pathways and programs that were designed to protect Radiant Garden – the realm outside here. As I learned about the Heartless, I added more to compensate for the threat of them, and as a security program, Tron naturally knows a great deal about them."

"So he'd stop me because it'd create Heartless, and he'd see that as an unacceptable threat."

"Precisely. However... I believe I can assist you. Be honest with Tron, but do not try to access the Heartless Manufactory right away, Riku. Tell him his User needs to speak with him and take him to a place he will know, the I/O Tower – it is the means of communication between our two worlds. I will explain to him, and he will assist you."

"You're sure about this? I mean if it'll create Heartless..."

"I intend to have Tron take control of this Heartless Manufactory. Once he understands why you need it, I will have him allow you to use it in a limited fashion, so you can handle the Heartless threat as they are created. Once Kingdom Hearts has been set free, however..."

"It can be safely destroyed," Riku finished, understanding. "Thank you, Ansem. I couldn't do this without you."

"Perhaps. Now, stand aside and allow me to assist you. You will want to take your place before the aperture."

"Uh..."

Ansem sighed. "The device in the back wall. The commands you've been given activate it, then cause it to encode you into data-form so you can exist in Tron's world. He will be able to return you here when you need."

"I hope you realise I barely understood that."

Ansem nodded, handing him back the paper, then entering the commands. He stepped clear before confirming the second, getting him out of the reach of the aperture. The rings around it glowed brightly, a central circle turning blue, then a beam shot him. It had no force to it, but despite that the entire world seemed to rush toward him, blurring into a singular bright light.

Then everything was black.


	55. Prison Break

The Dataspace was a strange world, formed entirely from lines of coloured light that created eerie structures that looked otherwise normal. In the distance a tall red beam of light reached up into the stormy, overcast skies, its source and purpose – like much of this world – unknown.

Riku realised he too had become similarly formed now he'd been encoded. The coat was covered in blue lines that traced its outlines, the pockets, every edge, even creating its own designs over it to create a kind of disk attached to his back.

He retrieved it, finding it only clicked into place and was easily removable. On the outside it had more light lines tracing a stylized heart on them, while the inside was reflective, showing his now grey face.

What it was or what it did was as much a mystery as anything else. It was set back in place just as easily, then he picked a route at random to explore the Dataspace. Somewhere here was Tron, though he had no idea what Tron looked like, where to find him, and even if he did know, where anything was.

Heartless appeared, they too altered by this world to appear similar to him but with red or yellow lines instead. His Keyblades came to him without issue allowing him to dispatch them as if nothing were different.

"This is gonna take ages," he muttered. "How am I supposed to find anything?"

Something buzzed nearby with the same kind of buzzing he'd noticed whenever he took a footstep. There was a humanoid, also with glowing orange circuits an a similarly coloured spear makings its way toward a narrow embrasure in one wall.

It paused there, then a voice emanated from within the embrasure. "What do you require, Program?" it asked.

"Request line to Master Control Program," the human-program answered in a humming artificial sounding voice.

"Granted," the voice responded. "Stand by."

Riku watched with interest, moving to see better into the embrasure. At the moment there was a line tracing a circle while the program waited, replaced by a red face after a moment.

"What is it, Program?" it demanded harshly.

"Reporting back, Master Control," the program replied. "I have detected no sign of unusual activity in this area."

"Continue to search," the face told the program. "A large payload was deposited in that sector with the access code of the system's User. It must be found and brought before me."

"Understood," the program replied. The face disappeared and it turned away, for the first time it appeared noticing him. It approached, levelling the spear at him. "State your purpose, Program."

Riku thought quickly. By the sounds of it, this Master Control Program had detected Ansem putting him into this world. Without knowing more, it didn't seem like a good idea to get found just yet.

"I'm a security program," he answered, the only option he felt he had. "I'm monitoring this sector for threats."

"Understood," it said, raising the spear and even saluting. "There has been an unidentified data stream in this sector. I am tasked with locating and reporting it to Master Control Program."

"Carry on," Riku told it. "I will be aware of it."

"Understood," it said once more and turned away.

It had been that simple. The moment it thought he was a security program it'd deferred to him.

Now to see if he could find out more. If the screen in the embrasure also recognised him as a program, he could be able to make use of it.

A blue diamond appeared on the screen as he approached and once again the first, softer voice asked, "What do you require, Program?"

"Request location of security program Tron," he told it.

"Stand by," it answered, flicking back to the circle line again, showing it was working. "Program located in sector gamma: Pit Cell 3-Alpha."

"Status of program Tron?" he asked.

"Requested program is under arrest for resisting the Master Control Program and is selected for participation in the games."

That didn't sound good. "Show me the best route to take to reach that sector from my location," he told the terminal.

"Processing request, stand by," it said.

"Can I ask you other things while you process it?" he asked, but it didn't react.

After a moment it displayed a map and spoke again. "Request completed. Store this route within your data before making further requests."

He figured that was it's way of telling him to memorise it – thankfully a relatively simple route and easy to memorise – then decided to put the next request to it.

"Identify the disk on my back," he told it.

Immediately a similar disk appeared on the screen, though without the heart on it.

"Identity Disk," the screen replied. "All programs must keep this with them at all times. All actions taken by programs are imprinted on their disk. In emergencies and in the games the Identity Disk can serve as a weapon. At the I/O Towers it allows programs to communicate with the User world."

"Users? You mean the people outside?"

"Affirmative."

He thought for a moment. Was there anything else he needed to know? Just one thing.

"Identify that beam of red light."

"Master Control Program," it responded.

"What can you tell me about that program?"

"Access to that data is restricted."

"I guess that's all I need," Riku muttered. The screen didn't deactivate, so he simply walked away instead, just as the other program had. It blanked out on its own.

So that was what Ansem had meant by encoding. He'd been turned into a program so he could exist here. What was the Master Control Program about, and what was it doing though? It couldn't be anything good if resisting it got you arrested, and the games it had mentioned were almost certainly a bad thing.

The route the system had planned out for him led him through a part of the Dataspace that overlooked what appeared to be a training ground, where pairs of programs duelled with each other. Some threw the disks at each other, others fought up close with them instead. As he watched, one blue-circuited program pursued another, which was running seemingly in terror but could barely keep ahead

The first program threw its disk low, smashing through the seconds leg before it arced around and back to him. Everything below the impact turned into a mass of squares, spilling over the floor as they disappeared. Deprived of one foot thus, the program stumbled to the floor, and when the first program jammed its disk into its face the rest of it reacted similarly. In a few moments it was just a collection of bits scattered about, then they simply vanished.

"Combatant four. De-resolution," a voice announced. "Release next combatant."

A thin pillar of white light shot down from above, depositing another blue-circuited program into the same arena as the victorious program. It looked about quickly, then turned and ran without even bothering to fight.

"Let me out of here!" it demanded, pounding on one wall. "I don't want to go to the games! Please, get me out of here!"

Riku reached out, but a barrier shimmered into existence at the edge of the walkway, preventing anything from passing through. He moved on quickly, not wanting to watch another program get destroyed. He had do something about this – but first he needed Tron. He hoped that hadn't been Tron he'd seen lost before.

The path led down a sharp slope into a giant pit, a sign on one wall identifying the area. 'Pit Cell – Garbage data collection, storage and removal.'

"Charming," he muttered, passing a pair of embrasures also waiting for programs to need them on the way down. From here he could see the mass of cells below, none of them with any ceiling to them. There wasn't any need though – even if they'd tried to climb over the walls, there were patrolling programs hovering above, just waiting to shoot at any escapees. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

Programs eyed him with envy and suspicion, all of them with blue circuits like his. Only the patrolling programs were red, and they paid him no attention. Even a pair of programs, identical to the one that had accosted him before, completely ignored him as he entered the area. Maybe his 'security program' ploy was still going for him – and if not, maybe he could use it again.

It took him only a few moments to find the cell the terminal had directed him to, occupied by three programs. One appeared to be dozing, another was talking quietly to a captive program in the next cell through a small hole, and another was leaning despondently against the back wall of the tiny cell.

"I'm looking for Tron," Riku said, gaining the attention of the trio from the first word.

"And who's looking for him?" one of them asked. "How come you're not in here with us? Work for the MCP, do you?"

"I'm... an independent program," he answered after a few moments. "The MCP knows I'm here but hasn't managed to identify me yet."

"You haven't said why you're looking for me," the no longer dozing program said. "I'm Tron."

"I need your help," he answered. "Your User got me into the Dataspace. There's something I need to access, but I'm not familiar with this system. I need your help, and he needs you at an I/O Tower."

"So Ansem's finally got back to his system, has he?" Tron remarked. "Maybe now I can get some answers off him. But you're still out there, and we're in here. Who are you, anyway? I don't recognise your configuration."

"Call me Riku," he replied, reaching out to the apparently empty gap that separated the captive programs from him. Another barrier shimmered into existence. "No keyhole I can use, but..." he glanced back to the guard programs. "I wonder if my ruse will work again? Stay here. I'll be right back."

"It's not as if we're going anywhere," the third program muttered, returning to his conversation with the neighbouring prisoner.

Riku ignored that, heading back to the two immobile guards to stand before one of them. "Are you the program in charge of these cells?" he asked of it.

"Affirmative," it answered.

"Come with me," he ordered it, then turned back toward Tron's cell without another word. The program obediently followed, leaving its companion remaining opposite where it had been. He turned back when he reached the cell, waiting for it to catch up, then said. "I'm taking these programs."

"You are not authorised to-"

Riku punched him.

"I said I'm taking these programs – or do you want to tell the MCP why you left them here to be used in the games instead of doing your duty?"

"At once," it saluted, holding its palm out to a section of wall beside the barrier, which flickered into visibility, then vanished. The program stepped into the doorway and addressed the three amazed programs. "You have been reassigned to accompany this program. You will obey this program. Failure to comply will result in immediate de-resolution."

Then it turned, saluted once more to Riku, and returned to his post.

"There now, that wasn't so hard," Riku said calmly. "Now, why don't we run along before that program finds out I just lied to it?"

The programs didn't hesitate to join him on his way back out, though they did look back sympathetically to the other programs.

"You're a remarkable program, Riku," Tron observed. "I've never known a program that could lie so convincingly."

"Look at his disk," one of the others said. "I've never seen one like that before."

"Not here," Riku said, passing the once again immobile guards. "Lets get out of here before we go into any detail. No escape is complete until you're safe."

"He's gotta point," the third program agreed.


	56. The Tower Guardian

Riku made use of Tron's encyclopaedic knowledge of the system and its layout to find them a place that was off the main routes, only normally used by specialist programs that didn't get run often.

"We'll be safe here," he told them. "At least unless they break out the Recognisers, but we'll be able to see them and anything else coming."

"Knew I could count on you Tron," Riku said. "Now, I don't believe we've all been properly introduced."

"Right. You know about me, of course," Tron said. "I was... am a security program. My purpose was to watch over all communications with other systems originally, but when I got installed along with this system I was retasked to guard the DTD Database."

"I gather the MCP didn't like that?" Riku asked.

"Something like that. He wants access to the database, but he can't simply appropriate the data from my functions for it. So he threw me in the Pit Cell and put me in the games in an attempt to force me to tell him."

"Not that it worked," one of the other two programs said. "Tron's probably the best fighter on the grid. I'm Ram," he introduced himself. "I'm made for running accounting stuff, but the Users don't really have much need of me on this system."

"The Users haven't needed us for some time," the last program muttered. "If they even exist."

"You don't believe they exist?" Riku asked, interested.

"Not all programs do," Tron explained. "Those of us who don't get called on often tend to forget. We don't actually know what lies outside our world, only that we can communicate with it only through the I/O Towers, or when our programs are called on to do their tasks."

"And no User of this system has needed me," the program went on. "Not even run once, there's gratitude for you. I'm Score – a network management program."

"Except Ansem never connected this system to a network," Ram said. "So he's never been needed."

"I don't think there's any Users left out there to need us anyway, " Score asserted. "If there are, they've long since been run off by the MCP."

"Oh, really?" Riku said. "It occurs to me that I never properly introduced myself. You know you said there was something different about my disk?" he said to Ram.

"Yeah, yours has that strange design on it," Ram nodded. "I've never seen any program with anything like that on it before. You know what it means?"

"I think I have a fair idea. It's because I _am_ a User. That's how I know your User, Tron. I met Ansem, and he showed me a way to get into the system to find you."

The three programs stared at him.

"You... you're a User?" Ram said, as if unable to believe it.

"And I'm the Commander Sark," Score snorted. "What business would a User have inside the system, anyway?"

"I need a certain device attached to the system to be activated and Ansem insists he didn't create it, so he can't access it," Riku explained. "First he told me I should find you," he nodded to Tron. "Because you know this system better than I do, and he wants to talk to you. He didn't say what about. Then I'm supposed to ask you to help me bring it online and put it under your control in case I need it again later."

"That means going up against the MCP, Riku," Tron warned. "No matter what part of that you try to do, he'll be on to us if he isn't already. There's only one active I/O Tower in the system, and that's under guard by his programs."

"No other way in?"

"Not that I'm aware of. We'd have to fight our way through and hope that the tower guardian, Dumont, doesn't try to alert the MCP to what we're doing. I don't know what sector the controls you need are in, but I do know the MCP watches all of them. You won't be able to sign anything over to me without alerting him, and he'll send programs to capture us."

"I'll figure out something," Riku shrugged. "First we have to get to the I/O Tower. You can alert Ansem to the activities inside the system, get your answers and get what he needs you to know. Maybe he can help us again."

"Wait, wait a moment," Ram said, holding up one hand. "Are you telling me you're making this up as you go along? You don't have a plan?"

"Happens to me a lot," Riku replied. "If an opportunity presents itself that works for me, I'll take it. Sometimes I plan, mostly I just act as the ideas come to me."

"He must be a User then," Score grudgingly admitted. "Only a User could act so completely illogically."

"Thanks... I think," Riku said. "Will you two be helping us?"

"You think we're gonna wait around here to be recaptured?" Score answered. "When the MCP finds out we're gone... if it hasn't already..."

"Let alone what it'll do when it finds out what you've done," Tron added to Riku. "I imagine he'll be just a bit annoyed with you by the time he finds out. Lets get moving – we've idled here long enough. I know the way to the I/O Tower. We just have to hope we don't run into any programs loyal to the MCP along the way."

"I'll just try my ruse on them again," Riku said, following Tron back out onto the main circuits. "As long as the alarm hasn't been raised, I'll just expand the story a bit. They seem to respect security programs, so as long as I tell them you three have been assigned to me they should leave us alone. It's the Heartless I'm more worried about."

"Heartless? What are they?"

"Seen any strange programs about lately? Besides me, I mean."

"The program I was talking to said something about odd programs," Ram supplied. "No disk to them, strange shapes and glowing yellow eyes."

"That's the Heartless alright," Riku agreed. "I'm better armed to handle them, so hang back if they show up. You don't want to get too close to them."

As if on cue, several Soldier Heartless came into existence barring their path. Riku gave them a cursory, disdainful glance, took out his Keyblades then descended on them. All three programs supplemented his attacks by throwing their Identity Disks at the Heartless, but it was still clear the Keyblades had the day.

* * *

><p>Tron continued to lead the way with Riku at his side warily watching out for Heartless. He'd already found his darkness here did not respond to him the same way, preventing him from reaching out to find the Heartless. It was a refreshing change, he thought.<p>

Ram and Score both kept a lookout behind them as they progressed through the strange looking world. At one point it even started to resemble a kind of digitized version of Hollow Bastion, but there were many differences. Houses were in different places, streets leading to places he'd never seen before – it was like a whole different town.

They headed unerringly toward a tall structure that Tron assured him was the I/O Tower. Here in this world it looked like it had once been the same castle that he'd met Ansem in just before being encoded, but it had been altered to better serve the needs of the programs.

At the foot of the path leading up to it several guards, identical to the first one he'd met, barred his path.

"Your show, Riku," Tron murmured to him. "See if the MCP is on to us yet."

Riku nodded, the three programs falling into line behind him in the apparent subservience of programs that had been assigned to him.

"Halt!" one of the guards commanded. "This area is off-limits without authorisation. You may not pass."

"Stand aside," Riku responded coolly. "These programs are to be taken to the I/O Tower by order of the MCP. You _will_ permit me to take them there."

"Unable to comply. Insufficient authorisation."

"Just who do you think you're talking to, you feeble-minded fool," Riku snapped. "My authority comes directly from the MCP! You must comply."

"My directives also come from the MCP," the guard said. "I am commanded not to permit anyone past without the presence of Commander Sark."

Riku tried another tack. "Haven't you heard? There's a User that's somehow managed to get into the system. Commander Sark is busy trying to track it down before it causes trouble. I've been deputized to handle all tasks in his stead."

The guard remained stubborn. "I cannot permit you to pass without his presence."

Riku sighed and took his Identity Disk off his back, holding it at the guard's neck.

"Listen to me very carefully. I _am_ authorised to pass. You can either let me pass and risk facing de-resolution at the hands of Commander Sark when I report this insubordination, or I can derezz you here and now and promote one of these other programs to your position. I'm sure they'll understand better that it's in their best interests to comply with me."

"I will not com-" the guard started, then Riku jabbed him in the face with his Disk. The guard derezzed, turning into a mass of square bits that lost cohesion and spilled over the ground, vanishing as they spread.

"You," Riku pointed to the next guard. "Congratulations. You just took his job. I trust there will be no further issue with our passage?"

"N-no sir," the nervous guard answered, saluting. "Thank you sir! I will not disappoint you."

"Yes, yes, I know. Come along Programs," Riku called over his shoulder. "We've idled here long enough."

The three programs kept up their act until they'd ascended the steps beyond and got out of sight of the guards, then Tron and Ram collapsed in helpless laughter. Score didn't join in, but his scowl lost some of its hold.

"Oh, boy," Ram managed eventually. "When the MCP finds out about this, Sark is going to get it in the neck for sure!"

"Never even met you and he already has reason to hate you, Riku," Tron added, still chuckling. "That guard is going to stand there and think he's done the right thing. It won't be until Sark comes to find out what's happened he realises his mistake."

"Why don't we step right along then?" Riku suggested. "We ought to be a long way from here before this Sark turns up. Who is he, anyway?"

"The MCP's lieutenant," Score told him. "And the Commander in Chief of the Black Guard – the guard programs down there. He's also the one who arranges the games the programs back in the Pit Cell plays, and he always stacks the odds against us."

"I think I'll have to pay the good Commander a visit as well while I'm here," Riku decided. "Seems to me that I'm not going to get anywhere safely without getting rid of him and old Master Control."

"One thing at a time, Riku," Tron said, leading them through the outer walls of the castle and into a large, open area. Opposite them, guarding a pathway behind him, was a program seated at a circular control panel wearing a tall hat and robes that gave him a decidedly ecclesiastical appearance.

"That's Dumont," Ram identified the program for him. "He's one of the oldest programs in the system."

"Hearing's as good as ever though," Dumont called to them as Tron led the way to him. "Good to see you again Tron. I heard Sark gloating he'd captured you."

"It'll take more than that old fool to keep me down, my friend," Tron laughed, then sobered up. "I need to pass, Dumont. There's a User outside waiting to hear from me, and I need to communicate with him."

"Tron... if I let you pass, the MCP will know," Dumont sighed. "He only keeps me around in case one of his lackeys wants to check up on the outside world, you know."

"With the help of the User outside, we can do something about that," Tron told him. "If he answers some questions I have and I tell him what's happened, he'll be able to help us, I know it."

"Fanatic," Score murmured.

"When you've been around for as many cycles as I have Tron you hear many promises, a great many plans," Dumont replied.

"The User outside isn't the only one on Tron's side, Dumont," Riku said, joining Tron before him. "I'm a User as well. With the help of Ansem outside and me inside, we'll pay a call on Master Control and teach him what it means to try to stop Users from using the system."

Dumont's resolve appeared to waver slightly as he stroked his beard in thought. "Even so, he would send Sark here to investigate..."

"Then Tron can go on ahead on his own to talk to Ansem. I'll stay here with Ram and Score, and we'll stop them from interfering. We'll even protect you as well, Dumont. What do you say? Work with us?"

Dumont gave a great sigh, then nodded. "Very well. If I can't trust a User, who can I trust? Go, Tron. Go forth and seek communion with the unseen world beyond our world."


	57. Scared off Sark

Programs did not sleep as such, Riku discovered, merely give the appearance of it when they had nothing to do – a program idling, as they had it. They also used the term for a program not doing anything except talking to other programs, so the meaning was a little hazy.

Tron had followed the narrow passage back to the tower proper so he could commune with Ansem, while Score kept watch near the entrance of Dumont's tower, looking thoughtful. Having met one User and seen Tron go to talk with another had started to shake some of his adamant belief that Users did not exist.

Ram meanwhile tossed his disk from hand to hand, occasionally breaking off to fight phantom opponents with it. As there was more than enough space here he even threw it at imaginary opponents that were further off, though he had some trouble catching it.

Riku had stayed with Dumont, who watched Ram with something close to sadness.

"Is there something wrong?" he asked the old program.

"This system used to be different once," he answered. "Programs going about their business, queuing up to use the I/O Towers... the Disks were supposed to be used only in emergencies unless you were a guard, and even then it was rarely needed. But now look at young Ram... every program now learns to fight just to survive."

"You care about them a great deal, don't you?"

"It comes with my job, and my age. All programs naturally respect Tower Guardians as we are the only access to the User world, but me... they look up to me. As you would call it, I am a father-figure to them."

"Then... you're not related to them?" Riku asked hesitantly.

"In manner of speaking I am, my boy," Dumont replied. "All programs are, in a way. Our code was written by Users, compiled into a program by another program made by Users. In that sense, we are all related."

"Please, not to technical," Riku pleaded. "I barely understood Ansem enough to know what was going on when I got transferred into this world. I honestly don't know how I've managed to function here at all."

"Think of it as a recipe, Riku," Dumont explained. "The source code that is our original form is the recipe and ingredients. The Compiler program turns that into a finished program like you or I – well, I, at least – the same way an oven turns your food from ingredients to a meal. Don't look so surprised, Riku," he went on with a chuckle. "I know a great deal about your User world. I am, after all, the guardian of the only remaining operational I/O Tower. In older times, I saw many programs come and go."

"So someone made the MCP the same way then?" Riku asked.

"Originally. Has Tron already told you this is a copy of another system?"

"I think he mentioned it, why?"

"The MCP started out in the original system. A feeble chess program capable of learning... then it started to learn, appropriating data and functions from other programs. Then it took over the system. Here, the User who installed the system did not retrieve his program at first. Tron was about, guarding the DTD Database."

"What happened?"

"A directive came in one day after a long silence from the Users. It had Ansem's access code, so we processed it. It retrieved Commander Sark, and he in turn brought back the MCP. Once again, it has taken over the system. It doesn't like Users, except as pawns in his own games."

"Without Users though, there'd be no one to maintain the physical system in the outside world," Riku pointed out. "It'd fall apart and there'd be nothing he could do about it."

"I know," Dumont chuckled. "He hasn't figured that out yet. For all his capability and processing power, he still has a tendency to overlook the essentials."

Score looked up sharply from his vigil, then snapped, "Guard programs, coming fast! Sark is with them!"

Ram dropped his disk in surprise, narrowly avoiding derezzing his foot.

"Riku? What do we do?"

"We do what I promised we would," he answered. "We protect the tower, Dumont and Tron until he returns. Get back, Score – if any of them spot you-"

Score dropped to the floor as a glowing orange Identity Disk shot in, curved around and arced back out again.

"That might happen?" Score suggested, not needing to be told twice. Ram nervously joined him too.

"I'm an accounting program," he moaned quietly. "I'm not meant for fighting other programs."

"For a program who doesn't like fighting, you've picked up a lot from Tron," Dumont observed. "I see a lot of his style forming in your own."

Ram looked slightly guilty, but was lost as he pointed ahead. Several ranks of guard programs were marching in through the main entrance, followed by one taller program who had red circuits to their orange. Unlike them his face was clearly visible, though his head remained within a grey helmet.

"Commander Sark, I presume?" Riku called, taking a few steps toward them.

"You seem to know me," Sark responded. "But I'm not familiar with you. Who created you, program?"

Riku pretended to think about it. "You know, I think you'd have to blame my parents there. I'm not a program, Sark. My name is Riku, and I'm a User. I understand you've been looking for me."

"You've caused a disturbance in the system," Sark shrugged. "I can't tolerate that. The MCP will decide what to do with you."

"You seem to be labouring under the delusion that I'm going to... what's the phrase... oh, yes – come quietly."

"I have thirty guard programs here. Even a User could not hope to stand against them."

"Is that a challenge, Sark?" Riku grinned, retrieving his own Identity Disk. "It certainly sounded like it."

Sark gave a faint 'hmph!' and waved one hand, causing the programs to advance.

"That's our cue," he murmured to Score and Ram, hurling his Disk at them, leaping up off the dais Dumont was on and summoning both Keyblades in mid-air. Some of Sark's arrogant sneer slipped away.

Riku smashed away the spears of the nearest programs, striking at any of them that came too close then lifting one to catch his returning Disk to throw it back again. Ram was hanging back, throwing his disk into the crowd, but Score had elected to punch programs with his instead. Several programs fell in a matter of moments, spilling pieces over the floor.

"Programs! Advance!" Sark snapped, stepping back out of the fray to use them as a shield. He did, Riku noted in passing, still reach for his own Disk and threw it at Riku. He dismissed one Keyblade, grabbed a nearby guard and shoved it into the path of Sark's Disk before continuing to carve through the programs.

Then something strange happened. The perpetual, sourceless light that illuminated the entire world seemed to darken and all programs stopped. Riku took advantage of that to derezz a few more programs, then looked back toward Dumont.

Tron was kneeling beside him, one hand touched to the ground. He looked up looking uncharacteristically bleak, eyes searching the crowd as he reached for his Disk.

"He actually did it," Score murmured. "He actually spoke to a User." Then he turned with a renewed scowl and continued to attack the apparently immobilized guards.

"Tron!" Sark called. "Hand over the password to the database."

"If I were a User," Tron said with a thoughtful glance to Riku. "I think my reply would be... 'Go to hell'."

He threw his disk toward Sark, who stole Riku's trick and put another program in its path. Riku joined Score and started to carve a path through the guards to reach Sark, planning to leave him stood alone without any guard near enough.

Sark had other ideas however. He tapped one arm and vanished into a white light.

"Riku, Score," Tron called. "Stop. Leave this to me." Then to the programs, "You all know me! My name is Tron. Before the MCP came, you answered to me like you did any other security program. Spread the word – Tron is back and taking command of the system. You _all_ answer to me once again. Now move out!"

The guards didn't move immediately. They didn't even react. But slowly, like an unseen wave, their red circuits started to flicker out only to glow back blue. As each guard received its new colour, it saluted Tron first, then Riku, then marched out.

"Nice going, Tron," Riku remarked as they regrouped. "I take it Ansem gave you a few upgrades."

"And some explanations," he added. "The User who brought back the MCP was _not_ him. Someone stole his name and caused it. He also explained what you came in here for, Riku. What you're asking is dangerous."

"I know. Ansem warned me you'd have a few objections about it, but put it this way – at least if it's under your direct control you can ensure the threat is minimal, and at that level I can handle it outside."

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Ram asked Score, who shook his head.

"One's a User, the other's trying to take over the system," Score said. "We couldn't hope to understand them."

"Stop that," Tron told them. "Right now, we follow Riku's plan. We have to eliminate the Master Control Program before we go anywhere near the programs for the Heartless Manufactory this fake Ansem created. That means we have to find an access node where I can unlock the DTD database – some of my functions are locked away in there, and I need them back."

"You have a function specifically for deleting the MCP?" Riku asked mildly.

"No, but we'll need those functions to reach it," Tron said, completely missing the joke as programs seemed to do. And," he went on, "It'll also allow me access to certain other data that I can use to upgrade you two as well. You especially, Score – once I told Ansem about you, he decided you should be given a new task."

"Users," Score sighed, but said nothing else.

"Well what are we waiting around here for?" Ram asked. "No time like the present, right? And now we don't have to worry about the guards..."

"Don't forget the Heartless," Riku murmured. "Tron, I assume you know where we're going?"

"Of course. Follow my lead, and we'll be paying a visit to the MCP in less than a microcycle. Which is just as well for you, Riku, since if you stay here longer than that the portal back to your world will cease to function."

"Oh, joy," Riku said weakly. "I'm so glad Ansem warned me I could be trapped here before I came in. How long is a microcycle anyway?"

"In your world, barely a blink of an eye," Ram responded. "I think... yes, by your perception, one microcycle here would seem to you to be about eight of your hours. It's not, of course. But assuming you don't leave, that's how long it'll seem."

"How long have I been here already?"

"Not long enough to worry yet," Tron replied. "Don't worry. Ansem gave me some advice for dealing with the MCP. If we start to run short on time, I'll get you out before I go handle him."

"And I thought I was a busybody," Riku sighed. "You're making me look like an amateur."


	58. Program Nature

Word appeared to have spread through the system quickly, dividing programs and guards between the loyal orange-circuited guards and the free blue ones that automatically answered to Tron – and by extension Riku, as he'd also passed himself off as a security program originally. Correcting them didn't help much, as those programs who still remembered the Users treated him with great respect.

Several guards had released the programs in the Pit Cells, only adding to the chaos as Sark had been putting these programs into the games, making several of them more capable fighters then the guards were. Fighting had thus started at the I/O Tower and spread rapidly to the cells, from there sprawling to just about every sector.

In spite of those conflicts, both sides dropped everything to eliminate Heartless as they appeared. The loyalist programs might not have shared the views of the frees, but they too understood the threat the Heartless posed.

"It's almost a shame," Score remarked. "I was just starting to have fun. Couldn't you let them leave us a few for us to play with Tron?"

Tron sighed. "If I didn't know better I'd say there was a bit of User in you, Score. Are you trying to get yourself derezzed?"

"Behave, both of you," Riku said. "You can bicker after we've freed the system. The way things are going right now, Sark is probably having a very bad day, and he can safely say it's all my fault. I imagine the MCP isn't very happy with him right now. Lets leave the programs to handle things themselves. We'll tackle any Heartless that come our way and go... wherever it is we're going."

"The control room for the Solar Sailor Simulation," Tron supplied. "I can use the access nodes there to download the data we need, change the password on the database to keep the MCP busy trying to get in, and even use it to get us a Solar Sailor."

"If the programs there aren't still on Sark's side," Ram said sourly.

"I know one of the programs there," Tron replied. "She won't work for Sark."

A blue guard marched up, saluted and said to Tron, "Reporting in Commander. We have secured forty percent of the system sectors, taking control of the systems for the Solar Sailor, Digitization Laser, the game grid and a sector containing a portal of unknown origin."

"That'd be my ticket out," Riku said. "How close is it to the current front lines?"

"Sir?" the program asked, confused.

"Let me," Tron murmured. "Is that sector in any danger of being lost to the loyalist programs opposing us?"

"No Commander. It is safely secured. Current engagements with hostile programs are, at last report, three sectors away."

"Very good. Keep up the good work."

"Commander," the guard said again, saluting an marching off.

"You have to use the right terms, Riku," Tron answered his querying glance. "Not all programs are as advanced as we are, and even then some of us have trouble with real-world concepts."

"It seemed clear enough to me," he said a little defensively.

"You're a User," Score told him. "You have trouble understanding our world, we have trouble understanding yours. Simple enough."

Riku didn't bother to reply to that.

They continued to move through the system, which occasionally showed signs of the ongoing conflict. Tron started to herd them for cover at one point when he spotted what he called a Recogniser, a strange flying craft piloted by one program which looked like a squared off 'n'. It wasn't until Ram pointed out it had blue circuits that they realised they didn't have to worry.

"It's a weight off my mind, that's for sure," Tron said afterwards. "If we've secured the Recognisers that means we also have any Tank programs Sark hasn't already manage to take."

The control room for the Solar Sailor was lined with programs who seemed unaware of the conflict, working controls that made no sense at all as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. They all sported the blue colours of a free program though, so probably had nothing to worry about.

Tron immediately went to work on a larger screen behind the main programs, keying in all kinds of commands. Two hand prints appeared to one side of the screen, which Ram and Score, without prompting, both used to fetch their own upgraded functions.

While they were receiving that, Tron continue to work, restoring his own functions similarly while Riku kept watch, just in case. One guard did try to interrupt, but quickly chose to change sides when he found Riku grimly bearing down on the hapless program.

"Now that's depressing," he noted as the program fled. "Am I really that intimidating?"

"You're a User," Tron reminded him. "And the first and only one ever to appear inside a system. They have no idea what you can do. Ram, you know where to go from here?"

"Of course, but aren't you coming?" he asked, surprised.

"I've got to arrange for the Solar Sailor itself to be rezzed up. You three go on ahead – I'll catch up. You can't leave without me to operate it anyway, so don't worry."

"Maybe I'd better stay," Riku said. "Just in case we have to get me out."

"Don't worry about that, we've still got plenty of time yet. Go on, Riku – if any Heartless show up, you need to be around to handle them. There aren't any guards in this part of the system right now."

Without much choice left, Riku accompanied Ram and Score out of another part of the control room and out onto what would have been called a port in the real world, if there had been water. Ram seemed to know exactly which part they needed to go to thanks to Tron downloading the information into him.

Tron's warning hadn't been without reason, but with two programs by now well practised in fighting them and Riku himself on the scene, he needn't have worried. They fell all too easily. He was interested to note that the Heartless here did not release hearts, or if they did it wasn't visible. Perhaps because they were encoded as data?

"This is the place," Ram told them eventually. "When Tron gets on with it, this is where we board the Solar Sailor. It'll take us across to visit Master Control himself."

"Never thought I'd meet him myself," Score remarked. "He doesn't exactly have any use for my functions. That's why I was down in the cells. Of course, if he knew what my new functions were, he'd change his mind."

"Why, what did Tron give you?" Ram asked curiously.

"Not Tron – Ansem. Tron just got the data to me. Anyway, I'm taking up a role left behind by a program that got derezzed in Sark's games. I now get to manage all User accounts on the system, including creating new User accounts and the like. If a new User comes onto the system, I get called on. If someone wants to find out something about a User, I get called on."

"Sounds like you could be very busy," Riku remarked. "I don't suppose I get to have an account?"

"Already made you one," Score smirked. "Ansem doesn't know about it yet though. Does have one benefit for you – if you ever come back after this, every program will know who you are and what you've done for us."

"That's a benefit? You've seen how programs react to me once they find out I'm a User, now you want to let the whole system know?"

"Want me to take away your account again?" Score asked, his smirk growing more pronounced. "It's the only way to stop that, you know."

"You're enjoying doing this to me, aren't you?" Riku accused.

"Yep." he agreed. "I get to do it, and you have to put up with it. Makes me almost like a User to the Users, wouldn't you say?"

"I think I'll have a word with Tron – see if we can do something about your code to deflate that big head of yours," Riku replied.

Score pretended to reel back as if shot. "I'm hurt you'd say such a thing," he said, grinning broadly.

Ram sighed. "If you don't get here soon Tron I'm going to have a pair of bickering children on my hands."

Both of them shared a look with him, then each other. Before they got the chance to say anything though, light started to gather behind Ram. First a beam shot of from one side, colliding with the far wall which started to open. Then the lines formed a shape in the air, long and thin, like a giant box. More lines traced a giant sail, which then flared brightly as the original line was passed through the sail to its corners and back down to attach to the rear of the Solar Sailor.

"All aboard," Riku said. "Next stop, Master Control. At least once Tron turns up."

"Did someone call me?" Tron's voice came as he appeared in a flash of light. "I asked Ansem to write a new program just so I could do that. I didn't think it fair that only Sark could do it." He quickly stepped to the controls, tapping away to cause the Sailor to start along the light beam. It wasn't quick at first until they made it out of the hanger, then they picked up speed – but without any sensation of movement.

Riku left him to pilot it, looking out over what he'd called the Sea of Simulation. There was a landscape there of sorts, even water, but it looked like nothing he'd ever seen. There was no grid here like the rest of the Dataspace, only light flowing over the landscape in various colours. Occasionally he thought he saw something moving down there, but as they continued rapidly along it was always too fleeting to tell for sure.

"Hey, Ram," he called after a time. "How come there's water here?"

"Water? What's that?" he asked, joining him at the edge of the sailor.

"Down there," he pointed. "And all over the place here."

"Is that what you call it? We call it energy. Down there in the outlands are the purest sources. Every program needs it, the whole system needs it. Without it we just tire out and derezz. The MCP regulates how much we all get, of course, but even he won't go so far as to deprive us of it entirely. We just get the low quality stuff. Doesn't taste so good and doesn't help much, but better than nothing."

"I guess that must be a representation of my world's energy then... if someone pulled out the power plug from its socket, there'd be no energy coming into the system and then..."

"Then the sources here would dry up. We'd all go offline if something like that happened as a safety measure. That way when the power comes back, we're all still here. Just give us a short of energy and we're back to normal."

"So why is most of the system built away from these sources? Why not reach out to them?"

"You could do that, but not us," Ram said. "The way the system looks here is defined by what you Users do with it. If you add to the system, the system grows here. If you take something out, it shrinks. You need to supply more power to make everything you add run, and that means here the additions reach out to a source of energy."

"So you really don't have any say in where anything is or where it goes then."

"We're programs," Ram replied. "We're used to that. It's what we're programmed for."


	59. Secured System

The MCP resided in a distant part of the system, far removed from what Tron called the mainframe. The area looked as if had once had a kind of virtual town on it much like the rest of the grid, but it had long since been destroyed, leaving only a cracked and broken plateau rising out of one of the largest lakes of energy Riku had seen yet.

It's towering red beam of light soared easily up above them and as they closed the red glow could even be seen through the great cracks and crevasses spanning the area like a giant spider's web. Only the surrounding structure, reminiscent of Dumont's I/O Tower, separated the four of them from the MCP itself.

Sark was waiting for them. No guards were with him this time, only Heartless that seemed to be clearly struggling against an unseen restraint holding them back. Riku reached out to them, though he knew his influence over them was limited here, and followed the trail back. It led naturally to Sark.

"Leave Sark to me," Riku murmured. "You three handle the MCP."

"You can't take on him and the Heartless on your own," Ram said. "I'll stay and fight with you."

"We'll have to work together to clear a path to the MCP anyway," Tron cut in. "You two clear a path through the Heartless. Score and I will cover you from Sark and any other Heartless that try to interfere. Then you make sure we can get in there safely."

"Don't I get a say in what we do?" Score murmured "Not that I'm complaining you know. But it'd be nice for once to decide for myself."

"You get to decide to go with Tron," Riku told him. "Plenty of time after we're done for you to run your own life. Let's get moving before Sark gets impatient."

The Solar Sailor derezzed itself after they'd all taken a leap off it to the plateau below, all three Programs landing with their Disks in hand. Riku kept to his Keyblades, being more familiar with them.

"Sark," a voice called. Riku recognised it – it had been the harsh one the first program had spoken with. The MCP itself. "If any one of them gets past you, I will have your functions appropriated and given to a more deserving program."

"Understood," Sark replied without a change in expression.

"Do not let any of them live," the MCP said. "Especially not the User. End of Line."

"You should have joined me, Tron," Sark called to them. "We'd have made a great team!"

"I told you – I fight for the Users!" Tron shouted back, hurling his Disk. "Don't just stand there Riku, move!"

He didn't need telling twice. Sark had already unleashed the Heartless for him and both Ram and Score were already throwing their own Disks. Only Tron persisted in attacking Sark, but Sark was more than a capable warrior himself.

The Heartless focused on him with the two Keyblades, swinging widely and constantly in an attempt to open a path. The programs followed up his attacks by holding off any who tried to close behind him and mop up those who managed somehow to get past him until at last they managed to cut through long enough for Tron and Score to make their way for the MCP itself.

Riku changed tactics then, heading straight for Sark. Without Tron's covering attacks, he had to watch out for Sark's Disk as well, though he seemed for some reason to be focused on attacking Ram, who was struggling.

An idea came to him. Would it work? Only one way to find out.

One Keyblade was dismissed as Riku fell back, reaching back for his own Disk. "Ram!" he called. "Catch!" And threw it toward him. Ram threw his own, looking out for Riku's Disk and leaping up to snare it, followed as he landed by his own. His blue seemed to blaze brighter from the moment he'd caught Riku's Disk.

Riku returned to battling the remaining Heartless, cut down in number but still numerous. No reinforcements came to their aid but Sark, who was now steadily being pushed back under Ram's renewed assault. He was glad to see his Disk still returned to Ram rather than him. Having to constantly throw it back to him would have been inconvenient.

Sark continued to retreat as he saw the last of his forces decimated and Riku turn to bear down on him. He raised his own Disk to deflect Ram's Disk, then Riku's, then he threw his own after them. Ram avoided it easily.

"You shouldn't have trained us all so well, Sark!" Ram told him, throwing the disks again. "It's come back to haunt you!"

Sark's knees buckled as the force of each Disk was transferred from his own into him.

"That's what you think," Sark snarled, throwing his Disk again, this time for Riku. He ducked low to avoid it only to turn and realise his mistake as it arced around.

"Missed me!" Ram taunted him, then there was a crash as Sark's returning disk cut through Ram, spilling chunks of data over the plateau. Ram stared at the sparking hole in his chest in shock, then to Sark, and finally to Riku. "I'm glad I got to meet you, Riku," he breathed. He put the two Disks together, somehow fusing them with a brief flash, then tossed it to him with the last of his strength. He started to say something, but then his program finally gave way and failed, leaving him to derezz into more chunks of data.

Riku stared at the newly fused Disk Ram had given him. It looked no different except for a thin line... that let him separate them again. Instead of two Keyblades now he was the one holding two Disks.

He turned to bear down on Sark again.

"At the risk of sounding clichéd, you won't get away with this Sark," Riku growled. "He was just an accounting program. What reason did you have to derezz him?"

"He sided with the Users," Sark replied. "With you. You can't be trusted. You're imperfect."

"Then if that's so, why haven't you don't anything to me, Sark? I'm here right now and not once have you thought to attack me. Are you too afraid to face a User?"

Sark continued to back away, not answering He didn't give the impression of being afraid, but he had to have been.

"The MCP isn't long for this world you know," Riku went on. "He can't save you. Tron and Score will see he follows Ram soon enough, and then what of you? You've run roughshod over this system. I doubt any program will want anything to do with you now."

"On the other hand if I derezz you and save the MCP, nothing will stop us from seizing control back," Sark replied at last, hurling his Disk. Riku brushed it absently aside without taking his eyes off Sark.

"How do you plan to do that? Much of the system is now under Tron's control. The programs are taking sides – mostly against you."

"They need only be told that Tron has been derezzed. Without their figurehead, they will lose morale."

"So will the remaining loyalist programs if I do the same to you," Riku suggested, pausing. Sark was at the edge of the plateau now. "Nowhere left to run, Sark. Try to go either way and I'll get you. Attack me, and I'll retaliate. Stay where you are... well, it looks like a long way down. Want to find out how far?"

Sark's Disk arced into view, attempting to return to its own. Riku threw Ram's Disk toward it, intercepting and smashing it into several pieces. Sark drew in a sharp breath, but it was too late for him. By the time he'd looked back, Riku had already crossed the intervening space and had his own Disk held at Sark's neck.

"You wouldn't dare," Sark croaked. "Not a User."

"Two things. First, I've done a lot of things I haven't liked. They were necessary, so I did them. This is one of them."

Sark couldn't help but ask "And second?"

"Never. Ever. Dare me," Riku replied, stepping back and kicking him solidly off the plateau. Behind him there was an immense detonation that sent chunks of the MCP's tower flying as the red beam thinned further and further, petering out until all that was left was a single, frail looking old program with red circuits. Tron and Score, made visible now the tower had been shattered, did not hesitate to derezz all that was left of the MCP.

A second, soundless shockwave burst out from where the MCP had once been, rippling the pools of energy, passing by Riku without affecting him. As it shot into the distance he saw the lights of the system's own towns and structures lighting up blue. The blue beam leading up from Dumont's Tower was slowly joined by others as the I/O Towers started to light up again.

"Remarkable, isn't it?" Tron said, having joined him without his noticing.

"A sight like no other," Riku agreed.

"Ram?"

Riku shook his head, extending Ram's Disk. "Sark got him. He gave me his Disk before he derezzed. It's not going to be much use to me in the User world, so you ought to have it."

"Now there's a program that truly believed in fighting for the Users," Score remarked. "We won't forget the price he paid for helping us."

"Right," Tron agreed. "Now it's time we got you back as well. I'll have the Heartless Manufactory up and running before you know it. Score will arrange it so only you have access to it, and I'll personally keep control of it so no one misuses it."

"Thanks guys. I'll try to stop by and visit when I can."

"You're always welcome, Riku."

* * *

><p>A flash of light and a few moments to reorient himself and he was back before the aperture again. Ansem stood watching nearby.<p>

"Tron has already told me what you've been up to," he said. "Quite an achievement for your first time in his world."

"It was nothing. Just a few programs that got in the way and had to be eliminated."

"A few programs?" Tron's voice came unexpectedly from the computer. "You caused mass fighting throughout the system when they took sides."

"Well who was it who took control and told them to go spread the word, huh?" Riku asked slyly. "Got that system up?"

"Just now," Tron replied, a door opening beside them. "Follow that path down. I'll create Heartless for you once you're there. I can use the security cameras to get an idea of how well you're doing, and I can always seal that door again if any escape."

"It seems all that's left to do is for me to retrieve my research," Ansem chuckled. "With you two around I hardly need to worry about the system or the town any more."

"Well what did you expect of us?" Tron asked. "We're both security programs, just of a different kind."


	60. Schemes

Saïx had not taken the news of Axel's change of sides well. He'd remained calm and impassive, but had said a number of uncomplimentary remarks about him for his activities, then turned on Riku, sourly demanded to know why he hadn't stopped him.

"Axel's sneaky and devious," Riku replied. "I hadn't expected him to turn on me so suddenly, much less try to knock me out cold so he could run into a corridor. I was hardly in any condition to go after him."

"I would have at least made the effort to try," Saïx told him.

"I had a mission to do, and I did it. I can get Heartless there any time I want. Axel was merely incidental to that mission. You seem to forget that I'm the important one here – since Roxas left, I remain the only one capable of collecting hearts. What's left of the Organization needs me."

"If this keeps up there won't be any Organization left _to_ need you!" Saïx snapped, then calmed again. "In any case, you are not the only one. Xemnas, it appears, has discovered a way by which he can take up a Keyblade once more. You should already know this, as he used it to lend his Keyblade to you."

"I'd be interested to know how he managed that. From what I understood he left that ability with his Heartless."

"I'm sure you would be, but you have a job to do. Demyx's reports suggest Ventus is continuing to assist us wherever he goes, but he is also heading ever closer to this world. We must complete Kingdom Hearts before then."

"How many more?"

"There's no way to tell," Saïx replied.

"Guess, then," Riku said. "Assume Ventus doesn't let up and I can get in a decent days work every day thanks to the Heartless Manufactory. How many days until it becomes complete?"

Saïx thought for several minutes, as if running estimates and numbers in his head, then finally answered, "Four days. However, Ventus will arrive early on the fourth day. Assuming I am correct, you will not need to visit Hollow Bastion on that day, which will allow you to be present to combat him."

"I'll see if I can pull overtime over the next three then," Riku decided. "Completing it before he arrives would be useful. If Ventus does arrive... well, I've got some plans."

"Such as?"

"Sora keeps saying there's a contact in the remaining members. I'm not saying he means you, but I'd rather not take the chance. Just trust me when I say my plans will benefit everyone."

Saïx looked suspiciously after him, but chose not to press him for further answers.

Once outside Saïx's room he quickly heard Sora in fine voice once again.

"What do I gotta do, beg for every damn meal?" his voice echoed around the castle.

"Stop your yammering already!" Demyx's followed. "Impatient or what!"

"You call this food? I wouldn't feed a dog this!"

"Hey, don't eat it, see if I care!"

Riku smiled, shaking his head as he left them to it. At least Sora wouldn't be too loud once he got back to his room.

Four days of heart collection, and never mind the overtime. If Naminé's sketchbook had been anything to go by, Ven needed to be here. Just four more days, and things could be put right at last.

He stopped by Axel's room to give it a quick search just in case he'd left anything behind, the sketchbook especially, but he seemed to have been very careful about that. Not only did his room still look as if he never used it, but he also never seemed to store anything at all anywhere in it.

One thing bothered him though. Axel had told him at least Xemnas and Saïx knew what he was, and no doubt knew that Xemnas was the one using Riku's original body – no doubts that was why he had mysteriously regained the ability to hold a Keyblade. But surely by now one of them should have gotten at least a little suspicious of his activities? Why members so suddenly disappeared, and so many so quickly?

And if the did suspect, why had they not acted? Just because he'd contributed so much to Kingdom Hearts, or some other motive?

As long as they didn't interfere though, he reasoned it didn't really matter. He didn't think they would though – the sketches hadn't shown anything of the sort, just four conflicts. Demyx would fall to Ventus, and he – he was sure of this now – would dispatch Saïx himself before moving on to Xemnas. Whether Ven would turn up to help was another matter; the sketch hadn't shown any more than the two of them.

Kingdom Hearts, even incomplete, shone down over the World that Never Was, providing it with the first natural light it had probably ever seen. Except, ironically, the natural light was from something artificially created and was no more natural than the neon lights of Dark City. After seeing Tron's world it was an eerily similar sight.

* * *

><p>Saïx joined Xemnas before the portal, as Riku had leaning on it to watch the scenes played out beneath. Neither one spoke for a long time.<p>

"Does he know?" Xemnas asked eventually.

"Riku? I doubt it. He suspects, at best," Saïx replied.

"What of Sora?"

"Which one?"

Xemnas' otherwise unreadable expression twitched once in a faint smile as he answered, "Both."

"The Replica has made no attempt to escape as yet," Saïx answered. "Perhaps Riku has told him to remain there. There is certainly some cooperation between them. He has the Soul Eater. As for the other Sora..." he trailed off.

"Loyalty to one's heart, even when there are two to listen to. Unity between them... a rare thing," Xemnas noted. "One would think discord and disagreement would be rife... but then, Kingdom Hearts itself suggests otherwise."

Now it was Saïx's turn to remain silent, watching their Kingdom Hearts. Eventually he asked, "What should we do?"

"Destroy the Replica while Riku is out tomorrow. Do not give him the chance to discover why. We need not be concerned with Ventus any longer. The boy's knowledge would aid us, but this close to our goal it matters not. Riku will blindly follow what the girl's sketchbook appears to show. As if one girl could see the future..."

"I know where she is," Saïx said after a moment. "She and your old mentor. Perhaps we should..."

"See to the Replica tomorrow," Xemnas decided. "Naminé the following day. As for that fool Ansem... let him putter around. Even if he shows up here, he is no threat to us now."

"That just leaves Demyx."

"If Ventus does not eliminate him as our sketches show, fabricate something for Riku. No doubt he will appreciate the chance to slim the ranks once again. I doubt he can be persuaded to act against Axel or Zexion, however – they are your responsibility."

"To think I schemed for him once before," Saïx remarked. "Only to find now I scheme against him."

"Do not forget our goal. Remain here a time. I'm going to see the friend. Perhaps she has something to say tonight, this close. Perhaps she may even find a way out when I tell her what we're doing."

* * *

><p>Ventus landed outside the Twilight Town's main station, closely followed by Riku's two friends, then lastly his own.<p>

"Been a while since I was here last," he murmured, running a hand through his hair. "Seems like forever since we last stopped for ice cream."

"Hasn't changed a bit either," Axel added.

"Do we really have time for this, Ven?" Zexion asked plaintively.

"Oh stop that. We need to be here. First thing I did when I joined the Organization – made sure I had a way in and out they wouldn't notice. Y'know, just in case things turned bad on me. Never needed it before, so best we check to make sure it still works before we need it. Then we stop for ice cream and go back to work."

"Have we got enough?" Donald asked.

"Don't worry," Ven replied, leading them down into town. "There's a promotional thing they've always got going – get a stick with 'winner' on it and you can trade it in for a free ice cream. Haven't got enough for all of us, but it'll mean I'm only paying for two of them."

"Even Riku never did anything like that," Goofy noted. "But at least he wasn't as bad as that Sora we were with."

"Yeah, heard about that," Ven nodded. "But hey, I'm a generous kinda guy. Why not do something nice for your friends?" he paused, then added, "Wonder if Hayner still remembers me?"

"That troublemaker?" Axel said. "You're friends with him?"

"Were," he corrected. "Back before the Organization this was where I hid out most of the time. Good friendly place, nice people, pretty good weather. No shortage of jobs too, even during the summer vacation. Seifer didn't exactly like me, but he didn't like anyone who went around with Hayner's gang – probably because he was always trying to get in the way of our fun. Even up at the school."

"You... actually went to school?" Zexion said, not entirely believing this.

"I wasn't there to _learn_ as such. I just figured it wasn't fair that I got to go around all day and not need to be at school where the others did. So I went too. Got thrown out a few times, usually when the teachers realised they mysteriously acquired an additional student. C'mon, we'll get the ice cream on the way to the portal, and I'll tell you more on the way."

* * *

><p>"It isn't going to work," Naminé murmured. "If we turned it on Kingdom Hearts like this, it'd be too much for it to handle."<p>

"There isn't any alternative," Ansem replied. "It would at least damage it... in theory. So many hearts forced together, even I cannot predict the outcome. If Riku cannot seize it from Xemnas, we must be prepared to use this."

"What if we didn't just encode them?" Naminé suggested thoughtfully. "What if we sent them somewhere else?"

"What do you have in mind?"

"That world with Tron in. Couldn't you redesign the Heartless Manufactory to take each heart and restore the original person? Just send the hearts to him and he could put it through there."

"There exists no link strong enough to reach out to him from the Organization's artificial world, Naminé. This will have to suffice. I can complete it without you from here on. You know what to do?"

"Sora, Riku, Kairi," she replied simply. "I'll warn them."

"Stay with Kairi afterwards. You are in some measure formed from her, perhaps as one of the princesses she can afford you some benefits from her own power. Hurry, Naminé – we do not have much time left."

Naminé handed several nearby tools to Ansem, cleaning her hands before she stood and created her own corridor to leave but pausing before she entered.

"Don't worry about me," Ansem told her. "I've been alone before. We meet next at the Organization's stronghold."


	61. Saving Face

Riku bypassed Saïx the following morning, having already planned out his course for the day. He did not need anyone knowing exactly where to find him. Not that he was going to be involved in anything they'd object to – yet – but the less they knew the better, he figured.

There were several worlds he intended to visit before calling on Tron again, in an attempt to cut down the chances of any Heartless managing to escape. He'd depopulated Radiant Garden of Heartless once before, he didn't want to do that a second time.

Most of them he'd only gone to a few times, if at all. Port Royal had been mentioned several times, but never been to, while Halloween Town he'd only ever gone to once at Ventus's suggestion right after he'd been restored. The Heartless there would be more numerous, and the more he destroyed away...

He'd begun in Agrabah, planning to find Jasmine to get some advice from them about where best to handle the Heartless. It wouldn't matter where they were, it would be a simple expedient to reach out to them and persuade them to come to him.

Almost immediately though he found the Organization had a major flaw in their coats. Wearing black in a hot place like Agrabah only made it hotter. He drew a lot of attention as he tried to put up with it, passing through the marketplace while he tried to reach the Palace itself. Either he'd landed in a different part of town than last time though, or they'd rearranged since then.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered to himself, squeezing past two haggling merchants and as an afterthought reaching over while they were distracted to steal what looked like, and turned out to be, a map of the city. It offered little to suggest where exactly he was, but it was a start.

"Stop! Thief!" someone cried. He almost started to run instinctively, but glanced back only to see it was a different merchant. Someone was bulling his way through the crowds, coming toward him. "Catch that monkey!" the merchant shouted.

Riku watched as most of the crowd got out of the way ahead of the two market guards and one of the locals, then spotted a small monkey dart out of the crowds ahead of them, clutching at a dark lamp. It too was looking back into the crowds and didn't notice Riku, running headlong into his leg.

He picked it up in one hand and the strangely cold lamp in the other, the monkey struggling in his hand as the trio finally managed to emerge from the crowd. One of the guards took the lamp and headed back, while the tanned local retrieved the monkey.

"Thanks for catching him," he said to Riku. "He's forever stealing things."

"No worries," he replied. "At least I helped." Then he turned away without thinking, trying to find his way to the palace. Something about the man had been familiar and it nagged at him, but it could wait until-

"Wait a moment," the man's voice came again. He caught up, passed him and turned to walk backward before Riku. "I thought so! You're the one who was fighting Jafar! The one Sora called Riku."

"Am I?" Riku asked cautiously. It wasn't clear which side he perceived Riku to be on.

"I'm sure of it. The coat threw me off a bit, but I wouldn't forget that face. What happened to you back there? One moment you were there, the next we were fighting Jafar and he said something about not being able to help us."

"Oh, that. He thought he'd managed to get rid of me. I managed to get out though. It was a kinda one-way trip, so I couldn't get back. Don't suppose you'd care to help me find the Palace, would you?"

"You're already on the right street. Just keep going."

"Right. Thanks. You're..."

"Aladdin. Jasmine mentioned you not to long ago, Riku. Had a visit from someone who called himself Ventus, stopping by to check up on things. She doesn't like you too much, I should warn you."

"I can't say I blame her," Riku shrugged. "She knows more about what I did, and hopefully why. I'm trying to put things right."

"So that's why you're here? Making it up to her?"

"In a way. I'm actually here see about clearing up any Heartless still around, and thought I'd pay a call on her to find out where best to tackle them. I can persuade them to do what I tell them so long as I take care not to overstretch myself."

"There's the desert ruins not far outside of town. They're the remains of an older Agrabah that got destroyed because they had no proper defence against sandstorms, but it's even hotter there than it is here. If we stop by my place, you can leave that coat with me."

"Whatever gets me out of this heat sooner. I'm going to have words with whoever thought the Organization should wear these damn things. Don't ask," he added, seeing the query forming already. "I work for them out of necessity, that's about all that need be said."

"I was gonna ask if you knew Demyx. He mentioned an Organization when he was here. Doesn't know I was listening in on him though. Similar coat to yours."

"I know him. I think I worked with him once. Different kinds of work though."

Aladdin chose not to try to press him for further answers after that short response. His home was closer than the Palace and looked a lot like he also conveniently acquired all kinds of things. His little monkey, Abu, left through a window again almost as soon as Aladdin put him down.

"Won't he just steal something again?" Riku asked, shrugging out of the coat. Underneath he still bore Riku's original appearance, complete with the changes he'd received on arrival at Hollow Bastion. All except for the crown.

"Probably," Aladdin replied, unconcerned. "I don't actually mind it much. He can usually lay his hands on anything we need in short order, but sometimes he does pick strange things, like that lamp. I've seen one like it before somewhere, but I can't for the life of me think where."

"Maybe he's trying to jog your memory. Sure it's alright for me to leave this here? No one's going to nick it, are they?"

"Are you kidding me? Something like that in Agrabah? I'm amazed you haven't melted yet. _No-one_ wears black around here. Mind if I tag along to lend a hand? Sora didn't, though he wasn't exactly what you'd call friendly."

"Yeah, I had words with him about that. Anyway it's up to you – there'll be a lot of Heartless. Wouldn't want you to get in over your had. I can escape in short order if I have to, but it'll be another one-way trip, and one you wouldn't want to take."

"When you put it that way, I think I'll pass. I'll go on up to the palace and see if I can smooth things over with Jasmine for you – maybe if she hears what you're up to she'll be more willing to stop growling your name."

"Entirely up to you, Aladdin. It's by no means essential. Just outside town, you said?" Aladdin nodded. "Right. Don't get surprised now," he told the curious Aladdin then to the empty air he snapped, "Local desert ruins!"

It had been a while since he'd last formed a portal like that, and he wasn't sure if it would still work. But it did, appearing in a dark flash and a rush of air.

"I know," Aladdin said. "One I don't want to take. You come back safely, Riku."

Riku winked at him before he stepped through. Like the other portals it had no intervening corridor, it led instantly from one place to another, closing after him.

The desert ruins were indeed reminiscent of Agrabah, damaged and destroyed. Much of it had been partially buried by the desert sands, blown about by sandstorms that fortunately, were not blowing right now.

He was in the process of reaching out to the local Heartless when Sora's voice cracked in his mind.

_"Riku, I need your help now! My Replica's in trouble – wear a different face!"_

"A what?" Riku said aloud, startled, but caught up quickly. The first familiar face that wasn't his or Sora's was Tidus, though he edited his mental idea of it slightly to take into account their differing heights. He concentrated momentarily, and the Replica body obeyed as it had been designed to, becoming his image of Tidus, shorts, jacket and his own addition of a plain white shirt. It was all there.

"Tell your Replica to lend me Soul Eater when I get there," Riku said aloud, then snapped, "Sora's Cell!" to form another portal, heading through almost before it had finished forming.

The cell back in the castle appeared before him, Demyx inside the cell, fighting with Sora. Saïx stood in the open door of the cell, his expression a mystery. While Demyx had never exactly given the impression of a capable fighter, he was pushing Sora back easily.

"Stop right there if you know what's good for you," Riku growled at Demyx, who now appeared to notice him for the first time.

"You heard him," he told Sora. "He-"

"Not him. You," Riku corrected. "Sora, give me that and get behind me."

Sora fell back, doing a double-take as he saw Riku.

"Tidus?" he exclaimed, seemingly unaware of who he was really talking to. "What're you doing here?"

"Saving your ass, what does it look like?" Riku replied flatly, taking Soul Eater without taking his eyes off Demyx. "What do you two think you're doing?"

"Destroying a fake," Saïx replied impassively.

"I'm _not_ a fake!" Sora snapped hotly.

"Hush," Riku said over his shoulder. "Why?"

"I don't answer to you... Tidus, is it?"

"That's me. And you'll do whatever I tell you, because if you don't I'm going to see just how much I can beat out of you."

Demyx glanced back to Saïx uncertainly. "You want I should..." he asked, trailing off. Saïx merely nodded. "If you don't get out of the way Tidus I'll eliminate you as well," he warned.

Riku took up a battle pose, forcing himself not to default to his usual stance. "Stay behind me," he reminded Sora.

Demyx sighed, then swung his sitar for him rather than using water to do his job for him. Riku ducked and lunged low underneath, jabbing at one leg swiftly then straightening up to strike for one hand. Demyx wielded his weapon two-handed though, making it difficult to disarm him so easily. He struck at Riku again, this time aimed low. He leapt over it and went for Demyx's neck this time, causing him to stumble back in an attempt to avoid it. Riku moved quickly back to guard Sora, while Demyx pulled back.

"Not fair," Demyx complained. "To hell with your orders, Saïx. I'm gonna do this my way."

"Finally," Saïx murmured. "A little backbone."

Demyx glared at him for a moment, tossed his sitar to one hand and snapped the fingers of the other, causing the cell to become filled with Nobodies – Dusks primarily, but there were Dancers and Dragoons interspersed through them. Riku quickly started on the closest of them, but unlike Keyblades, Soul Eater had little effect on them.

"What I wouldn't give for a Keyblade right now," Sora muttered.

Riku shared the sentiment but kept in character. "What're you talking about now?" he asked Sora.

"It's the weapon Riku and I both had – Keyblades. They're better against Heartless, Nobodies and-"

"A shame you don't have one then, isn't it?" Saïx observed.

"I think you're right," Riku agreed. "I could really do with a Keyblade."

As if in response to that, Soul Eater put out the same kind of dark flash it usually appeared with, though longer. When it cleared, the weapon had changed. The handle now had a guard around it, reminiscent of a bat-like wing on one side and a feathered angel wing on the other. A second such wing had appeared near the end of the blade, flared out as if to form the teeth of a Keyblade.

"Now _that's_ more like it!" Riku exclaimed, sharing the surprise both Nobodies and Sora had. He tested it out on the closing Nobodies, eliminating them easily. "Looks like I got what I need," he smirked to Demyx. "Still wanna tangle with me?"

"You're still trapped in here," he said. "You can't fight forever without becoming tired."

"Did you forget how I arrived here?" Riku replied. "I can leave any time I want. Sora, be ready to move."

"You aren't going to stay to indulge us?" Saïx inquired. "What a shame. We _will_ find you, Sora."

"Yeah, that's what you think," Sora replied. Riku didn't bother to say anything, opening a normal dark corridor and guarding it while Sora turned and headed into it. He paused at the threshold.

"Go," Riku told him. "I'll deal with any attempt at pursuit before I follow." Several Nobodies were already heading for the corridor, though they too quickly fell before the upgraded Soul Eater. "Go!" he told Sora again. The Replica at last heeded him, vanishing into it.

"Demyx – go in search of him," Saïx ordered. "Take these Nobodies away with you." Demyx nodded, disappearing into a corridor of his own. The Nobodies crackled out of existence with him. "Most interesting, Tidus. We had thought you still on Destiny Islands."

"That's just what I want you to believe," Riku covered. "I get around a lot more than people think."

"So it seems. Who sent you?"

"No one sent me. I came on my own. Surprised you haven't seen me here before," he went on, inventing the story as he thought of it. "Paid several calls on Sora before. Just goes to show how lax you are here."

"Perhaps. What will you do now then? Return to Agrabah?"

"Where's that?" Riku replied. If Saïx didn't know, he ha very good guesses.

"Where indeed?" Saïx murmured. "You seem to still be here. Don't let me detain you."

Riku dismissed the new weapon, then opened a new corridor that would lead to Halloween Town and took it. He'd deal with any pursuit once there, then head on to Radiant Garden to check on Sora.


	62. Cloudy with a chance of Nobodies

Riku waited for a time in Halloween Town in case Saïx had sent anything to follow him, taking to a nearby curled hill to ensure he could not be observed unseen, then once finally satisfied he headed over to Radiant Garden, just outside Merlin's house.

"I _wish_ you'd give us some-" Yuffie started then saw who she was talking to. "Huh? You're not-"

"I'll explain later," Riku sighed. "Where did Sora go?"

"Right behind you," he answered as the corridor closed. "Now you tell me something, Tidus. Where'd you learn to do that? And how come you're holding that now it's a Keyblade?"

"I thought that was obvious," he replied, concentrating momentarily to force the Replica body to obey once again, restoring his own appearance. "Recognise me now?"

Sora looked stunned, but Yuffie was undisturbed. "He still has a valid question you know," she said. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"Oh, here and there, out and about. First time I've tried to make use of it that way though. Here," he went on, turning the new Soul Eater around to Sora. "You take it back for now. I don't think you should head back there even with it though."

"What about you? Are you turning on them?"

"Did that ages ago," Riku shrugged. "I just left my coat with Aladdin over in Agrabah because it's so hot there."

"Let me guess. Looking for Heartless?"

"What else? You're welcome to help, just don't let them find and destroy you."

"Riku," Yuffie called. "Trouble. Leon says he's spotted one of the Organization arrive not far from here and is on his way."

"Already? Either a good coincidence or..." he broke off, thinking. "Merlin around at the moment?"

"If he isn't I can get him soon enough, why?"

"Take Sora to him, have him use a bit of magic to short out any trackers they've sneaked onto him again. Next question, is there anyone away right now?"

"Just Cloud, over at Olympus Coliseum. Do I want to know why this time?"

"Lets just say I'm going to arrange for him to make an unexpected return," Riku replied, already forming his mental image of Cloud as he'd last seen him. "Make sure Leon knows before he gets here, if there's time?"

"Leave it to me! You get inside Sora, and we'll leave Cloud here to fool everyone," Yuffie grinned, already on her way out. Sora paused in the doorway to watch as Riku shifted appearance once again. It was surprising to note that it even accommodated height differences, leaving him slightly taller than usual.

"That's almost freaky," Sora noted. "Seeing you change like that."

"Just go, Sora," Riku sighed in his borrowed voice. "I can't afford to have you running around leading them after you."

Once Sora was out of sight he closed the door to Merlin's house and picked a nearby wall to lean against. It took him a few moments before he was satisfied he actually looked like Cloud did at times like this, though it seemed he had that time. For now.

Yuffie returned not long after, pausing as she opened the door again.

"If I didn't know better I'd say I was really looking at Cloud," she remarked.

"I _am_ Cloud," Riku replied. "That's the whole idea. Leon?"

"I told him, but I don't think he's convinced. He's leading the Nobodies this way. Think you can lift one of Cloud's swords?"

"Don't tell me you've actually got one here."

"Well you can't use your Keyblades, can you? If you're going to look like him, you have to fight like him. I'll be right back."

He hadn't thought of that. He did hope it wouldn't come to a fight though, as he was unused to Cloud's style of fighting, and that would show up. If whoever was after him was aware of this... likely Demyx, and no detail escaped Demyx.

Yuffie emerged, dragging one of Cloud's massive bandage-wrapped blades behind her. There was also a leather glove matching the two he already wore, except this one had bright golden claws tipping the fingers.

"I don't know how he lifts these things," Yuffie panted. "Gimme a hand with this will you?"

Riku took it off her, lifting its weight easily.

"Don't see what the problem was," he teased lightly.

"Oh, very funny. Here," she said, handing him the glove too. "Cloud always has this on his left hand. Don't ask me why, I've never seen him use it."

"Maybe you will today," Riku replied, leaning the sword against the wall to free up his hands and switch the gloves. The claws could be useful if he remembered he had them, and at least the tough leather would stop him from jabbing himself with them when he closed his fist.

"Now don't you dare make Cloud look bad in front of anyone, hear?" Yuffie told him, then darted back inside. He had just enough time to retrieve Cloud's sword again when Leon rounded the corner, fending off Nobodies as he fell back. Cid's defence system was trying to keep up, but there were too many of them.

Leon did the smallest of double-takes when he spotted Riku, then called, "Cloud! A little help here!"

"Sure you need me?" Riku called back, swiping at one Dusk that had bypassed Leon for him. Cloud's sword obliterated it in one powerful blow. "Looks like you're handling them well enough to me."

"You think I came back all this way for the fun of it?" Leon retorted. "If any more show up-"

"Point taken," he cut him off, joining the main battle itself. Though inexperienced, the two of them together managed to stop them pushing Leon back any further, and he even started to get the hang of fighting with this blade.

He generally forgot about the claw though, until one Berserker Nobody managed to slam its claymore into his back. Riku swung his own blade to smash the claymore away then jabbed the claw into what was supposed to be the Berserker's face, causing it to stumble back pawing at its face in pain.

"Alright there?" Leon murmured, finishing it off.

"I'm fine. Where's this Organization member?"

"Still coming. Try and stay in character, won't you?"

"Who says I need to stay in character? You think I'm not who I look like?"

A smile touched Leon's face briefly before he descended on a group of Nobodies heading for the marketplace. Yuffie and Sora emerged from Merlin's house at the same time, further supporting their attack. With Sora's new Keyblade in play, they all seemed to have greater effect on the tide of Nobodies.

As they started to become more and more filled with waves of Dusks and Dancers they unexpectedly broke off and backed away down the street. Riku moved to follow, but Leon shook his head very slightly. This wasn't something Cloud would do, and Leon would know Cloud better.

Just as he'd expected, Demyx came into view. His expression was unusually harsh for him, but what was most notable about it were the amber eyes that almost everyone else who used the darkness had.

"Sora," Riku murmured. Normally he'd have said something, but for all intents and purposes, he wasn't here – Cloud was.

"You don't give up, do you?" Sora demanded. "What's your problem with me anyway?"

"You're just a Replica – a fake. One of Vexen's experiments that wandered out from under the microscope. Only we don't have any use for you anymore, so its time you were thrown in the trash, where you belong."

"Who're you to make that call? What right do you have to tell me I can't go ahead and lead my life?"

"Your life?" Demyx asked. "Don't make me laugh. You never had a life. Just a half-existence. The memories you said you had of Destiny Islands? Just copies. The real Sora has been going around telling everyone his name is Riku. And he is – the real Sora and Riku ceased to exist the moment the storm claimed the islands, fusing them into one being."

"That's ridiculous," Riku scoffed. "Nothing like that is possible."

"Oh yeah? What would you know? Did _you_ do any research? Did _you_ waste time finding out what would happen? And you," he rounded on Leon. "Your sword got stolen by Sora once, didn't it? Same Sora who told you he was Riku."

"What? What're you saying?" Leon demanded. "The two looked nothing alike!"

"Why am I even trying to explain anything to you?" Demyx sighed. He pointed to Sora. "You. Tell me where I can find Riku."

"Why would I know that?" Sora replied. "Haven't seen him since he got me out of your cell."

"Isn't _that_ interesting?" Demyx said with a vicious smirk. "I seem to recall it was _Tidus_ who got you out of your cell, not Riku. It explains how he was able to hold a Keyblade... and how he was so proficient with it."

"Idiot," Riku breathed, then louder, "I think I've heard just about enough of this. What do you say we cut this guy down to size, Leon?"

"No argument from me there," Leon agreed. "I'm not about to let him just get rid of Sora for something he had no choice in."

They both leapt for Demyx at the same time, but neither blade connected. Demyx had also leapt back and clear, snapping his fingers for the Nobodies to intervene again.

"Get the boy!" he snapped at them. "All else is irrelevant!"

"The boy has a name you know!" Sora growled back, already swinging his Keyblade for the nearest Nobodies. Leon and Riku matched each other, keeping themselves between him and any exit and Sora. Riku kept close watch on Leon to try and get an idea of what Cloud would do from him, but kept himself ready to react his own way as well.

Demyx did not seem unduly concerned by this. Riku was just starting to wonder if this was really Demyx when in one fluid movement he brought out his sitar from nowhere, swinging it first for Riku who ducked low beneath it then for Leon, who was caught full on by it.

As soon as it had passed him Riku struck back, taking Cloud's blade in both hands to rain blows that would have stunned anyone else. Demyx seemed to shrug them off, almost ignoring them entirely as he brought the sitar round again to block them. Riku brought the blade down, not for either of his hands but for the sitar itself.

It snapped under the force of the strike with a great crack. Demyx stared at the two broken pieces, cut again into three, then four as Riku steadily carved them into more and more pieces. When he was done he dropped the blade and grabbed his neck with the unclawed hand. Demyx struggled to breath, tugging futilely at Riku's hold on him.

And he hesitated. Naminé had drawn him falling to Ventus, not to him here and now. But would it make any difference...

He decided not, jabbing the claws into Demyx's chest, easily piercing the coat.

"You know who just beat you?" he murmured to the stricken Nobody, who shook his head. "Look then. Look into my eyes and tell me."

Still fighting for breath Demyx stared, then went wide-eyed. "Riku?" he breathed. "You... you're-"

"That's right. If there's something after this for you... remember me," he whispered, then jerked the claws out of him. Demyx stumbled slightly, reaching out in mute supplication, but the scent of darkness already filled the air as it sought to reclaim him.


	63. Truth

Riku returned Cloud's sword before he changed back again, knowing that its weight alone would probably break his wrist otherwise. He returned the claws too, retrieving the original glove he'd ended up with, then after a moment's focus had shifted his appearance back to normal.

"Interesting," Leon noted. "I imagine that's come in useful."

"Today was sorta the first time I tried it," Riku replied. "It's been done before to bring out the part of Sora in me – that's the part that stole your sword, and why I had no idea about it – but always before it's just been for Sora. I'd never tried anyone else before."

"You fooled me back when you busted me out of that cell," Sora said.

"Apparently not enough to stop you slipping here though," he observed. "Just a good thing I got rid of Demyx before they found out – if that was Demyx."

"You noticed it too, huh? It looked to me like someone gave him a spine at last, they just went a little too far with it. He went from a mouse to a tiger."

"You can't miss it," Riku said. "I've got to find out if that was him for sure though. I'm heading back to Agrabah – still gotta clear up the Heartless there and pick up my coat – then I'll head back. You, Sora, are not going anywhere near their stronghold. Saïx wants you out of the picture, and I'd prefer you were still in it."

"I'll go around Heartless hunting then. See if I can run into Ven and help him out too."

"You might as well direct everyone to Ventus," Leon observed. "They all seem to end up with him anyway. Make sure you take care of yourself, both you. Or... you know, whichever of you is the real thing."

"I am," both Riku and Sora said in unison.

"Sorry," Sora grinned. "Couldn't help it."

"At least try to stay out of trouble," Riku sighed. "Anyone need me before I go?"

"Go on," Leon told him. "Go play with the Heartless."

* * *

><p>Agrabah had been hot, but not nearly as much as it had been earlier that day, and after finding several Heartless that dealt in Blizzard-based magic, he'd kept them around to help keep the temperature down. They were among the last to fall before he headed back to Aladdin's room to retrieve his coat.<p>

After a short discussion with him where he assured Riku that Jasmine was starting to think slightly better of him, Riku left him too for the Organization's world. There were several mysteries he needed to solve. The amber eyes he'd seen Demyx with did not simply form overnight, but he had Demyx's weapon, he knew what Demyx had about the cell breakout, and when the darkness reclaimed him it had been with the signature water of his element.

He looted one of the many unoccupied stores in Dark City for a telescope, picking a suitably high location within the right part of the city to spy up into the castle. There was Saïx, in the Grey Area as was his habit. Though difficult to tell from this angle, it appeared he was either talking to himself, or there was someone else there with him

Xemnas still kept his vigilant watch over the final portal. After he closed his eyes and made the familiar tug on the darkness, the dark sight flared into being once again, revealing the steady stream of hearts – and, more interestingly, a bright blue aura around Kingdom Hearts that pulsed like a heartbeat. It wasn't visible to the naked eye, only to the darkness.

Riku moved to another part of the city, overruling the slight guilt he felt for spying into everyone's rooms. They appeared empty at first, devoid of any activity. Something moved in one of them, too distant even with the telescope to tell what, or which room.

He tuned in once again with the dark sight, this time pushing at the limits of it to see one area specifically, even though he wasn't there. It grudgingly complied, reaching out toward the rooms, watching each in turn. Nothing out of the ordinary at first until he came to one – and saw a shadowy figure.

It was fuzzy, indistinct and too blurred to tell much about it, but it appeared to be sat on the end of the bed, head held in its hands. There were no discernible features to it, making it impossible to tell who or what it was. Only the lack of yellow eyes proved it not to be Heartless.

Darkness was nudged out yet again, this time reaching for the shadow figure. If it had anything to do with the darkness he'd be able to detect it when the two came into contact, perhaps even communicate.

There was definitely something there, but it wasn't anything he was familiar with. As Riku tried to find out anything about it through the connection he'd established, the figure's head jerked up, possibly looking down into Dark City but the lack of features made it impossible to tell for sure. To be safe, Riku ducked behind the roof access out of sight, continuing to use the dark sight to watch.

It moved to the window, placing both hands flat against it as its head turned this way and that, looking for something. There was a sense of curiosity coming back down the link now, but no awareness of that same link.

After a few moments it returned to the bed, though this time it sat facing the window resting its chin on its hands as if staring out in thought. The curiosity was still there, but now a sense of despair joined it.

Something very strange was going on here. Riku almost severed the link, but decided against it – at least until the whatever-it-was detected it. Instead he memorised which room it was in so he'd be able to find it from inside the castle later, then headed to the Grey Area.

As he exited he heard the last few words Saïx was saying before he broke off. "...until then he can – Riku. You're back late."

"There were more Heartless than I thought," he shrugged. "Should be a nicely boosted flow tonight. Anything interesting happen?"

"One of your friends from your Islands took Sora out of the cells earlier today. I sent Demyx after them, but have yet to hear back."

"Which friend?"

"Tidus, I believe he called himself." Saïx watched him impassively but closely, as if expecting him to give something away.

"Odd," Riku replied with a calmly blank expression. "I wasn't even aware he knew how to leave the Islands or travel to other worlds. I'd like to know how he knew where Sora was."

"Demyx suggested that he was not Tidus," Saïx said. "That he was perhaps you in a very good disguise."

"That doesn't make any sense. Why would I want to get Sora out?"

"Why indeed? I had the chance to examine him in detail during the short time we had him here. Would you believe that he is in fact a Replica, and not a Nobody as he told us?"

"Really? What a remarkable discovery," Riku remarked without a change of tone or expression. Saïx knew. And he knew Riku knew. They stood watching each other carefully for several moments before Saïx finally spoke again.

"Why are you still doing this, Riku? What do you hope to gain from this?"

"I contributed a great deal to Kingdom Hearts. I hastened you along on your goal. I should think that entitles me at the very least to one wish of my choice. You give me that chance, and I'll continue to help you."

"But as you know, we do not need you. Xemnas can retrieve his Keyblade whenever he wishes, as it remains and responds to you only because he wishes it. Ventus is defeating Heartless wherever he goes, and no doubt this Replica of Sora is too, wherever he is."

"I hasten things along a great deal, Saïx," Riku replied. "I depopulated the Heartless in Radiant Garden and Agrabah too now, all to speed things along. I don't need the Keyblades present to bring every Heartless in a world running where I want them."

"That hardly guarantees you job security."

"You think so?" Riku inquired. "I think otherwise. If it's that easy for me to bring them to me, imagine how easy it would be for me to reach out to all Heartless, dragging them with me from world to world as I collect every last one of them. All I need do is put them somewhere they do not threaten anyone. Beyond the reach of you, of Xemnas, Ventus, Sora – if they cannot reach them you are dependent on me letting you have some of them. I can stall you at any moment if I wish."

"So at last you show your true colours," Saïx nodded with satisfaction. "It has taken you long enough to be honest with us."

"More than can be said for you. I know you and Xemnas know the truth about me, for example. Who and what I really am. I suspect you knew long before I ever heard of the Organization, and yet you told me nothing."

"What would you have done if we had, Riku? Before Xemnas regained his ability to wield a Keyblade, we were dependant on you, Roxas and the Sora Replica. Now Roxas has returned to being Ventus, we still depend on them, but you... you claim to be able to stop us. Would you have done that before, had you learned of this?"

"I don't know. I haven't given it any thought. I do know you're responsible for causing me to be like this. It was Vexen, at your command, that gave me the idea to share the Paopu with Sora and Kairi together. And I know that Xemnas's ability wasn't regained at all – he stole it, like he stole my real body."

If Saïx was surprised, he hid it too well to notice. "You are well-informed, I see. Your body was... shall we say, rather reluctant to yield that ability to him. It took him some time to overcome that, and longer to make it accept his own Keyblade instead of reaching for yours, left in the hands of the Replica. Only then was he able to lend it to you."

"So what now, Saïx? You know of my lack of loyalty to you, and I've revealed your secrets. If I didn't still have a need to use Kingdom Hearts myself, I wouldn't even still be here to help you reach your goals. But that still depends on your giving me that one use I ask for before you and Xemnas take full command over it. Deny me that, and you lose everything."

"If you truly can do what you say you can, then we are at an impasse. You will not allow us to have any hearts unless we meet your price. Xemnas has already decided however not to permit you first use – particularly so in light of your new found honesty today."

"I can wait," Riku said, sinking into one of the couches. "Just watch yourselves, Saïx. If you take too long to come to an agreement with me, I'll go right ahead and stall you until you meet my terms. Or negotiate new terms. I'll give you until I return tomorrow, and you'll get hearts tomorrow, but after that I'll have locked away all Heartless and you'll have no choice but to do as I say."

Saïx's expression turned hard.

"You would threaten us? Here in the heart of our power, you would dare to threaten us?"

"No threats, Saïx. Just telling you what I'm going to do. I don't even need to consult Ven at all. If the Heartless are completely under my control he can go anywhere he wants and not find them. Of course, if you want to try to force me to change my mind... well, that's up to you. But fighting Heartless day in, day out for you has kept me in top form. You don't get out and fight nearly enough, Saïx. Do you really want to try to tangle with me?"

Saïx said nothing.

"You seem to still be here," Riku observed. "Do run along now, won't you? You have all this news to take to Xemnas, and a new agreement to negotiate with me."

Saïx continued to say nothing, though this time because he chose that moment to leave.


	64. Hiding Places

Riku hopped from world to world the following day, occasionally destroying Heartless but more interested in finding a safe location to hide the Heartless. He'd stopped by Twilight Town only to find Naminé and Ansem were gone, leaving no help there. Trying to command a portal to find him somewhere failed entirely, and most worlds he went to were too risky.

He had also kept to his word though, collecting the various Heartless in each world and commanding them. Though Xehanort's Heartless was long gone, he remembered how he'd established a kind of over-control and put that knowledge to use himself. Sometimes he met resistance, commands established by others. Some were nudged aside so deftly the previous commanders wouldn't even noticed, others were forced aside in such a way there could be no doubt someone had taken them.

They were brought with him from world to world, never actually appearing unless he specifically told him to. He used them as eyes and, where they had them, ears, keeping them under strict control. Some were attacked, but he prevented them from doing any more than defending themselves. He did not want to make himself responsible for more Heartless if he could help it.

It allowed him to find out a great deal about each world he visited in short order, taking less and less time as he gathered more. Thanks to this, he found Ventus and his party visiting Olympus Coliseum, having just finished the games he'd qualified for before – and predictably, coming out on top. Riku nudged the Heartless into keeping out of sight, then made put in an appearance.

"Don't appear outta nowhere like that," Ventus told him, startled.

"Just as soon as you tell me how to make corridors announce me in advance," Riku replied without concern. Need another favour from you, Ven."

"Take a break guys," he told the collected friends. Axel took Sora and Goofy to one side of the Coliseum entrance, taking a seat on a low ledge as they talked, while Zexion remained closer in discussion with Donald. "What's been going on?" Ven asked, taking him aside too. "Besides the usual."

"Oh, nothing much. Down to just Saïx and Xemnas, unless my suspicions are correct and it wasn't Demyx I destroyed in Radiant Garden. They know I'm not loyal by now because I told them so, and now I'm going around preparing to make good on something I told him."

"Sounds fun. What did ya tell him?"

"I just told him I can establish control over every Heartless, and unless they meet my terms I won't let anyone with a Keyblade near them. They'll have to negotiate with me for each and every one of them if they don't want to give me what I want. The problem is-"

"You don't got anywhere to take 'em, right?" Ven cut him off. "Got just the place. Stop by Port Royal and look up a certain Captain Jack Sparrow. Don't wear your coat though, I warned him against dealing with people with coats a few days ago. Tell him I sent you and that you need to go to the Isla de Muerta. It's an island that can't be found except by those who already know where it is."

"So how does anyone find it in the first place then?"

"Jack used a compass he bartered that doesn't point north," Ven explained. "It points to whatever you want most. I was there ten years ago when his mutinous first mate stole his ship and left him marooned on an island once he'd revealed where it was. I helped him off the island, then met up with him again the other day and helped him get his ship back."

"Is there anyone who doesn't owe something to you, Ventus?" Riku asked. "You seem to have been everywhere and done practically everything."

"I'm working on it," he smirked. "I take it you're gonna dump the Heartless at that rock so no one can find 'em, forcing everyone to come to you, right?"

"Exactly. Don't worry about destroying them any more. If I were on the job still, Saïx reckons we'd be done in two, maybe three more days, and he reckons you'd arrive at the same time. Obviously that's out of the window now, but if you turn up and they're not done..."

"Could be interesting. Neither of them are gonna be pushovers though. I got all this backup, but I'd prefer to have you on my side too y'know."

"Depends on what happens, Ven. I've really got to watch my back now they know. There's one other thing I want to ask you about, while I think of it. Two rooms down from my room – who was in there?"

"From yours?" Ven leaned back and thought. "You were five down from me, that means... yeah, that's Demyx's room. What were you doing poking around in his room?"

"I wasn't poking around. I was looking into the rooms from down in Dark City last night. Remember when I had Ansem sicked on me and had to wear the blindfold? Had to use the darkness to see by then, and through that I saw a shadowy figure in that room. Couldn't tell who or what, and I think it noticed me – or at least the sense of my darkness – but no idea who or what it was."

Ventus looked troubled. "Hey, Zexion. You heard that?"

"Demyx's room, you said?" he asked, glancing up. Riku nodded. "Any sudden differences appear in him lately?"

"He was more aggressive when Sora and I destroyed him yesterday," Riku replied. "Had the amber eyes too."

"Sounds like what happened to Nyx all over again."

"Who's Nyx?"

"What, not who. It was a project by Vexen, the predecessor to the Replica program. He started it just after Demyx arrived, but before we picked up Luxord or anyone after – even Roxas."

"Not that I didn't know about it," Ventus picked up. "Zexion had found me by then and kept me informed. Nyx was one of Vexen's attempts to recreate the Keyblade."

"What happened?"

"Vexen found another Nobody – the one who originally held Luxord's rank," Zexion answered. "She was much like Demyx, very passive. She wasn't useful to the Organization that way though, so Vexen persuaded Xemnas to let him test Nyx on her. Remember how Larxene was?"

"How could anyone forget," Ventus murmured. "From what Zexion told me, she was even worse than that," he told Riku. "She went from passive to ridiculously aggressive, even had the amber eyes just like you mentioned."

"When Luxord joined and was given her old room, he kept saying he swore he heard voices. He made a bet with Demyx that he couldn't put up with them, so the two changed rooms. Demyx never mentioned voices, he certainly never complained, but occasionally he'd say something about a shadowy figure that just kept growing fainter and fainter until it vanished entirely not long before you turned up, Riku."

"Now you think the same thing has happened to him? That the shadow was this other Nobody first, and now him?"

"We don't know, Riku," Ventus replied gravely. "We never found out. It does seem like it, but nothing either of us tried ever worked. We never thought to look with the darkness like you did though. Maybe you'll be able to find out something."

"Be very careful, Riku," Zexion advised. "If Saïx has tried to use Nyx again... I've seen him fight, you don't want to face him coupled with Nyx. Not without backup."

"I'll look into it next time I'm up at the castle. Maybe see if I can do something, but I'll probably have to come back to you two. There's only so much I can do. Thanks for the help, both of you. I'd better go meet this... who was it again?"

"Captain Jack Sparrow," Ven said. "Very important not to forget the 'captain'. You'll probably find him in Tortuga, if he's not got himself caught again. He's good at getting out though, so you might have some trouble finding him."

"Don't worry about that," Riku grinned. "I've got all these Heartless waiting for something to do. I'm sure they'll be only too willing to lend me a hand finding people. I might lose a few if they get attacked, but that's not really a problem. Stay out of trouble now, won't you?"


	65. Search for Sparrow

At Ventus's suggestion Riku had once again discarded his coat, and since he seemed fully capable of traversing dark corridors without the protective benefits it should have afforded him, he started to seriously consider not bothering with it any more. Now that the last remnants of the Organization knew where his loyalties lay, it was no longer a sign he was one of them.

He had noticed however that despite this being a Replica body, he had nevertheless grown a bit. The original outfit he'd arrived in Hollow Bastion with was definitely starting to stretch a bit to fit him. Fortunately it was a simple matter to alter his wardrobe slightly to accommodate the differences. A white jacket over a black shirt he felt signified the light and dark to him nicely.

On departing the corridor at Port Royal he was immediately aware that this world was... different. Everything seemed somehow more real. He'd arrived on the battlements of a fortress overlooking a vast ocean, occasionally dotted by uniformed night guards on patrol. A few Heartless quickly provided them with a distraction, allowing him to sneak past and out of sight.

Once he was sure of his concealment he had the Heartless start to spread out, finding out what was where in this world. Immediately apparent was the sheer size of this world – it included vast oceans, all kinds of settlements on shorelines and a great deal more besides.

Port Royal was not just the name of the world but this port within it. Tortuga was a 'free' pirate port several hours sailing north of Port Royal, and not far from there another port, Nassau. It was there that a Heartless first picked up word of a Captain Jack Sparrow, who had apparently once sacked and looted Nassau without firing a single shot. The good captain, it seemed, was undoubtedly a pirate.

Another mention came more locally. A Heartless was listening in outside a local Inn, overhearing someone mention that a local blacksmith had set Sparrow loose from his appointment with the hangman just this morning. The captain had fallen off a ledge not far from here Riku had appeared, somehow miraculously missing the rocks in the water below, only to be picked up by the Black Pearl, his ship.

Sending Heartless to Tortuga itself turned out to be a mistake as the pirates there, even addled by drink and more, almost immediately noticed and attacked them before he'd found out anything. If he wanted to find out anything there he'd have to go there himself.

Instead, he found flying Heartless and had them spread out over the oceans instead, under careful orders that left no room for them to attack anything or anyone, only to find a ship known as the Black Pearl, a crew that mentioned it, or Jack Sparrow himself. Once they were at work he set about finding a better place to conceal himself.

Fort Charles, as he discovered it to be known, was locked down at night with no way in or out... for most people. He was forced to resort to another concealed corridor to leave and head into the town of Port Royal itself, and even then he had to avoid more uniformed guards on patrol there as well. Little doubt he'd be questioned if they found him. If not because of a curfew here, then because he definitely stuck out.

The Heartless continued to bring him word as they learned of things. The pirates aside, there were three main forces he had to be aware of. The British Empire, who the soldiers he'd seen so far belonged to, the Spanish, and the East India Trading Company. Though the first and last had close ties they were considered separate due to occasionally conflicting views, and none of them got on with pirates, of course.

"Halt! Who goes there?" a voice rang out behind him. A lantern held high by one soldier revealed another armed one beside him, and Riku himself.

"Well I go here, until I find somewhere else to be," Riku replied. "Is there a problem?"

"I don't recognise you. What's your business here?"

"I'm just passing through while I look for someone. Only from what I gather he isn't here, so I'm heading for the port to find a ship."

"In the middle of the night?"

"I like the night, it's quieter," Riku covered. "You can get more done without the distractions of the day."

"I can imagine what kind of things you'd get done as well," the lantern holding soldier said. "I say we take him into custody, he said to his comrade. "Skulking about at night, can't be up to any good."

Riku breathed a brief oath, picking a Heartless to put behind them, then said, "What's that behind you?"

"Oh, no – I'm not falling for that one!"

On cue, the Heartless began to growl. The two soldiers froze, turning slowly to see the giant dog-like Heartless. Riku took the chance to disappear, hiding in a nearby alley while he ensured the Heartless didn't do any more than scare the two, though that seemed to be no problem. Something smashed, then the two ran past screaming in terror.

Riku dismissed the Heartless and carried on, humming tunelessly to himself.

If Sparrow was at sea he'd need a ship to go after him. Once he had a general idea of which way to sail, it'd just be a case of persuading a captain to go that way. Given the general feelings about pirates, it shouldn't be too hard to persuade the officers of the royal navy to cooperate.

He could take a corridor, but startling Ven had already persuaded him that appearing out of nowhere on a pirate ship was probably not going to be good for his health, and anyway this way was more interesting.

Word soon came back informing him of three ships in harbour, two owned by private merchants who were still unloading cargo and were unlikely to want to leave any time soon, the other the HMS Dauntless, being prepared even during the night to sail.

The two soldiers he'd scared off were gabbling away at two more down at the port, who were listening without much belief in what they were saying about monsters with yellow eyes. Riku's appearance gave them an apparently welcome reason to ignore them and turn their attention on him.

"This dock is off-limits to civilians, sir," one told him. "I'm afraid you can't pass."

"I wasn't planning to pass. Not yet, anyway. I'm just interested. What's the rush to get the ship ready to sail?"

"Commodore Norrington is planning to set sail in pursuit of a notorious pirate captain that escaped yesterday."

"Let me guess. Captain Jack Sparrow? I might be able to help you. I don't know yet where he is, but I'll know soon enough. Wouldn't it be useful to know something like that?"

"You never said you were looking for him!" one of the first pair of guards exclaimed.

"You never asked," Riku replied calmly. "Besides, you already jumped to the conclusion that I was doing something unlawful because I was up late, mentioning the name of a pirate would probably have made you arrest me for being one myself."

"Are you?"

"Don't be silly, do I look like a pirate? I'm not even armed." He paused. "Well, visibly armed. You don't want to know where I keep my weapons."

The second pair considered this, then somehow without saying anything seemed to reach a decision. "The Commodore is of course sleeping at this hour, but these two will show you to the captain's stateroom aboard the Dauntless where you'll wait for him. They'll inform him of this in the morning... _without_ the ridiculous monster stories."

"Just ask him, he was there! He pointed it out to us!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Riku said with a completely straight face. "Shall we go, gentlemen?"

The guards moved aside to let them pass and head down the dock and up the gangplank.

"If you didn't see anything, why did you ask us what was behind us then?" one of the two soldiers hissed to him.

"Be realistic – you really think anyone would believe any of us if we told them there was a giant purple dog with menacing yellow eyes somewhere in town?"

"He's got a point, Mullroy," one remarked to the other. "Who'd believe that?"

"No one sensible, that's for sure," Riku said. "Besides, I put it there. You were... a little inconvenient. I don't have time to be sat around in a cell when I need to find Captain Sparrow."

"So you _are_ a pirate?" Mullroy asked again.

"Why would you ask that when he's already said he isn't, Murtogg?" the other sighed. "Maybe he just has a score to settle with him."

"If only you knew," Riku breathed. "You needn't worry about it any longer anyway. I've persuaded it to go someplace safer."

"What was it?"

"You wouldn't like the answer to that. Just pretend that little incident never happened and in that meeting we agreed you would escort me down here so I could tell those two back there what I did, hm?"

"I like the sounds of that," Murtogg nodded. "In here with you master..."

"Riku."

"Master Riku then, and the Commodore will be with you in the morning. We'll stand guard out here, just to make sure no one gets any ideas."

"Like maybe getting the idea to steal the ship," Mullroy suggested.

"Don't tempt me," Riku threw back as they closed the doors.

It couldn't have worked out better. Lucky for him he'd met those two instead of any other, or it'd probably never have happened to easily. Now all he had to do was wait for a Heartless to locate Sparrow and the Pearl, and the rest would literally be plain sailing.


	66. Pirate Parley

The stateroom aboard the Dauntless overlooked Port Royal and its docks, showing the town as it began to rise. The hollow booming of Fort Charles' gates opening reached him, several more blue uniformed soldiers taking positions on either side. More followed, heading out into the town. Perhaps the Commodore and his retinue.

Riku idly wondered how they turned the great ships around while in port. The two merchant vessels had clearly pulled in facing toward the town, while the Dauntless was ready to depart. He conceded he didn't know too much about sailing a ship, and there probably was a simple way he hadn't thought of.

He'd taken a brief nap while he waited, woken only once when the Heartless finally located the Black Pearl. He'd persuaded one to conceal itself in a place he hoped no one would even think of looking for it, then used it as his beacon. At the moment it reported they were at sea having looted then sunk a ship belonging to the East India company. Now all he had to do was figure out a way to explain this mysterious knowledge to Commodore Norrington.

Down at the docks the soldiers came into view again, pausing at the two guards he'd met earlier. A discussion was held during which the one leading the soldiers glanced up to the stateroom, then they all headed down the docks and out of sight. The Dauntless shifted slightly in the water as the sound of heavy footsteps told him they were coming aboard.

"All hands make ready for departure," a voice commanded. "We leave within the hour!"

Riku took the seat facing away from the door, its high back concealing him from view, waiting for the Commodore to pay him a call. Various orders followed from other deck hands as the crew coordinated, then at last the doors behind him opened.

Footsteps approached, then the leading soldier, now on his own, circled the desk and took his own seat.

"Commodore Norrington, I presume," Riku greeted him with a brief nod.

"Indeed. And you would be the young master Riku. I'm told you know the whereabouts of a certain pirate."

"Not entirely accurate, but close enough. If you were to ask me where he is, I'd have to give you the honest but unhelpful answer of 'at sea' at the moment. On the other hand, I know exactly which way to go to find him and his ship." He paused, feigned thoughtfulness for a moment, then pointed toward the Heartless on the Pearl. "That way, to be exact."

"Forgive me if I seem somewhat sceptical young master, but just how do you know this?"

"Don't be alarmed, Commodore," Riku warned him, then gestured to the air nearby. A Hook Bat Heartless obediently appeared at his command. "I have one of these creatures stowed away aboard the Black Pearl. Since it's under my direct command, I can tell where it is and have it report back about what it sees. Unfortunately they're rather stupid, so I have to do the thinking for it and give it commands back, but it suffices. Normally you'd have to fight these creatures as they'd go for practically anyone instantly – see how this one is struggling against my command to go for you? I've learned to keep an iron-clad command over them however. They don't escape me. You've nothing to fear from them... as long as they're mine. But I'm working on remedying that, because I figure better safely under my command than loose and causing trouble."

"Some might say that constitutes an army, master Riku," Norrington suggested, eyeing the struggling Heartless warily.

"Some might, yes. I know of at least two people who'd definitely rather I didn't have it, but I'm in the middle of a dispute with them. I don't intend to use them as an army. Just as a source of information." Riku gestured again to the Heartless, causing it to vanish again. "As soon as things quiet down aboard Sparrow's ship I'll have them look about again and find out what they're up to. Right now though, every moment we spend talking he gets further away."

"And what do you get out of this?"

"All I need is a few moments to talk to Sparrow. He knows something I want to know. After that, I've no further interest in the matter. Can I count on your aid here, Commodore? I provide you with a direction, and you allow me to speak to him when we catch up?"

"You'll keep these... things from causing trouble?"

"Of course," Riku agreed. "They won't even show up unless I tell them to."

Norrington considered it for several moments, tapping a small metal box on his desk, then with clear reluctance nodded. "You'll accompany me to the helm, Riku. Once we reach open water you'll take the helm yourself and ensure we stay on course."

"Just... one problem. You put me at the helm of a ship and I have no idea what I'm doing. I've been aboard ships, but I've never sailed one."

"Easily remedied, young master. Come along."

The continued 'young master' bothered him, but since right now he needed them to reach Sparrow safely, he tolerated it. Showing the truth seemed to have bothered the Commodore, but at least he'd taken him at his word. For now.

Once back outside on the main deck another uniformed soldier – or perhaps sailor was more appropriate – joined them as they headed up the steps to the upper deck and the wheel.

"Orders sir?" the second inquired.

"Take us out to open water, Gillette," Norrington ordered. "Riku here is going to ensure we find Captain Sparrow. Watch closely, Riku," he went on. "Wheel turned left, ship turns right. Turned right, ship turns left. Consider yourself trained on how to steer a ship. No doubt you'll pick it up better as we go along."

"Somehow I thought it was more complex than that," Riku murmured, watching the helmsman steer them out of Port Royal.

"Only if you need to know what to do with the sails," he replied. "You said these creatures of yours tell you what's happening?"

"That's right. Not too long ago he looted and sank a ship. East India Trading Company owned. Had to keep reminding it to stay out of sight when fighting broke out. It wanted to get involved itself."

"Once a pirate, always a pirate," Gillette remarked. "Course heading, Riku?"

The helmsman stepped aside, keeping hold of the wheel but clearly indicating Riku should take it. He concentrated again, finding the Heartless and its direction.

"Left to go right, you said?" he asked, squinting against the sun to see them. Someone nodded, so he turned the wheel accordingly. The Dauntless slowly responded, giving him time to correct their course well enough. "He's sailing at the moment," he said. "But he's sailing generally eastwards. We're heading north, so once I've got the hang of this I'll angle us across to intercept him."

"Very good. We'll make a sailor of you yet, Riku," Norrington said approvingly, then left him to it.

After a time, The Dauntless soon answered the helm as he intended as he started to understand better the way it worked. The sailors adjusted the sails without needing to consult him, knowing what needed to be done. There was other activity as well, a considerable amount of cleaning and occasional repainting, maintenance of the guns and more that didn't make much sense to him.

He concentrated on keeping them heading for the Black Pearl, or at least where he judged they should be to intercept her. She seemed to have a fair turn of speed to her, constantly requiring him to continue to steer the Dauntless steadily further east in order to catch them.

At a guess, it appeared he was heading for Tortuga. Several Heartless were surreptitiously summoned and ordered to investigate the intervening waters, though after the last disastrous visit not to go to Tortuga itself. Sure enough, they confirmed Sparrow was making a break for the pirate port.

On the deck below a discussion took place between Norrington's lieutenant and one of the sailors, then a second time with Norrington present. They didn't look too pleased.

"Something happen?" Riku called down.

"The winds dying down sir," the sailor reported. "And without a steady wind-"

"Leave it to me. Someone come up here and hold our course for me while I remedy the situation."

"What are you planning to do, Riku?" Norrington asked suspiciously.

"Provide us with wind, of course." He handed back to the original helmsman. "Would you make sure no one is alarmed by this please. I'd rather not cause panic."

By now much of the crew were looking on with interest. Riku headed to one side of the upper deck, quickly counting sails and sizes, then gestured to the air in front of him. Several people drew back sharply as a collection of Emerald Blues appeared before him.

"Go to the sails," he told them, pointing toward them. "Spread out before all the sails, then send wind into them. Do not do anything else unless ordered otherwise."

Most of them flew off to find a position, the rest struggled against the command. There were hearts right at hand, after all.

"Move," he grated at them, and then they too joined the others.

The slackening sails picked up and bellied out again, flapping in the renewed wind. Riku added several more to ensure complete coverage, then at the suggestion of one of the sailors had them tone it down a bit to the point where the force no longer threatened to uproot one of the masts.

"Remarkable," Gillette murmured.

"You do have them under control, don't you?" Norrington asked him.

"Of course," Riku replied, taking the helm once again. "I wouldn't have done it otherwise. With this wind we should catch up with the Pearl soon, I think. The Heartless I have there is definitely drawing much closer."

"Have a longboat prepared," he told Gillette. "Since Riku wants to talk to Sparrow before we capture him, we'll give him his chance. Assuming mister Sparrow wants to talk in return, of course."

"A friend of mine told me that they'll respect the right of Parley," Riku said. "We just have to make sure they hear that."

"Ship ahoy!" the sailor above in the crows nest shouted down. "Black sails!"

Norrington quickly joined Riku, taking a telescope to spy ahead.

"You actually were telling the truth," he noted. "I'm impressed. I assume you'll be returning to the Dauntless once you've finished talking to Sparrow?"

"No. I've got business elsewhere to see to, and I have alternative means of getting around for it. I'd have used it here, but setting foot on a pirate ship unannounced is an open invitation to suicide. I guarantee you, you'll know when the parley is concluded, Commodore."

Above them, he released the Heartless from their commands and had them dismiss themselves. The sails slackened, but they were still closing on the Black Pearl. Her own sails showed she too did not have the benefit of the wind.

Norrington had his own helmsman take the helm back, steering them to what he considered to be a safe distance away from the Pearl. Someone shouted across the intervening space that they had someone aboard who wished to Parley with them, then two sailors joined Riku in a lowered longboat, rowing him across.

The crew of the Black Pearl did not have uniforms, and in many cases seemed to be unshaven and none too clean. They looked menacing, or maybe that was the guns they were ready to fire. On the upper deck of the Pearl stood Captain Jack Sparrow himself, watching the proceedings with an unreadable expression.

"You two row back," Riku told the two sailors. "Commodore Norrington knows I'll be leaving by a different means. You can return to safety once I'm aboard the Pearl."

They both gave him relieved looks at that, rowing him alongside the Pearl where planks nailed to the side provided a ladder up. As soon as he was on it, they pushed off and headed back.

"Parley," Riku said as soon as he was in view, just in case. "Or did you get told that already?"

"Aye, we heard," one of them said. "Captain's waiting for you up there. You don't look like one of them."

"I'm not. I just don't know much about sailing, so I lied a bit to make them bring me here. Ah, Captain Sparrow, good to see you at last. I understand you know a mutual friend of ours, Ventus. He pointed me in your general direction."

"You don't seem familiar," Sparrow replied. "Have we met?"

"Yes, just now," Riku answered. "Captain, I have a need to go to the Isla de Muerta. Not for the treasure there, but because I have something I need to put beyond the reach of most, and since one can only find the island if one already knows where it is, it makes a perfect place to hide, wouldn't you say?"

"And what's the gain for us?"

"Lets just say I cheated a little to catch up with you, and I'm willing to do the same again to help you get away from them. Norrington believes I'm here just to talk to you and then go my own way so he can catch you, but I've no intentions of honouring that. A clean get away, a visit to the Isla de Muerta where if you really must, I'll see if I can't get you some of the treasure from it for you, and all for taking me there so I can conceal something there. What do you say Captain?"

"You've lied to Commodore Norrington. What's to say you've not lied to me?"

"Because you're a friend of Ventus, and I'm a friend of his. If he learned I crossed you and lived to tell the tale, he'd never forgive me. And I kinda need him on my side. Oh, there is one other thing. I need to convince them I've left. Would you mind at all if borrowed your cabin? I'll use it as a destination."

"You're not making any sense. Rum?" Sparrow offered him a bottle. "Thanks, but I need my wits about me."

"I don't have wits about me without it," Sparrow countered. "Alright. I'll trust you – for now – not to cross a pirate. We have an accord."

Riku nodded, heading back down onto the main deck.

"You'll want to step back and make sure they get a good view of this," he told them, then when he was sure it was safe he created a corridor directly to the captain's cabin on the Pearl. Accompanied sounds of surprise came from outside, and more as the Emerald Blues returned and took up position behind the Black Pearl's sails.


	67. Unlikely Alliance

It took a few moments to persuade Jack that he really did have control over the Emerald Blues, and longer for him to convince his crew to leave them alone as well. Once they'd started to draw out of sight of the Dauntless and it was safe enough for Riku get come back on deck again, he once again added a few more to the sails. The Black Pearl's sails seemed made to catch as much wind as possible, no doubt responsible for her considerable speed.

Jack had however been insistent that they were going to stop by Tortuga before they went anywhere, even after Riku had threatened to remove the Heartless.

"You can take them away, but we'll still keep going," Jack had replied. "We've sailed with low winds before, and we're well clear of the Dauntless by now. Either way, we'll still be heading there."

"I came to you because I needed to reach the Isla de Muerta, Jack," Riku said testily. "No one else seems to know how to reach it, except to ask you. You talked about trusting me not to cross you, now you're crossing me yourself!"

"Pirate," Jack reminded him, taking a swig of rum. "Sure you won't take a drink?"

"I wish you'd stop offering," he complained. "I'm not even old enough to drink."

"If you're old enough to be consorting with pirates, you're old enough to go to Tortuga and drink. Or drink and go to Tortuga. Either one."

"Did Ventus drink any rum? Or his friends?" Riku countered.

"That red haired one did. Regretted it come morning mind, but he at least tried. Can't say the others did, but Ventus told me not to try. He helped me out a while back, so I respect his choice. You on the other hand are a new face, and an altogether too clean one. A bit of harmless rum and a visit in Tortuga will tarnish you nicely."

"Just because I look clean, doesn't mean I'm not. I'm having a dispute with two people who thought I was working for them, except they might have found out I was only in it for my own gain and planned to pull the rug out from under them. They didn't like my terms, so I'm letting them bang their heads against a brick wall, making no progress at all until they realise they've no choice but to come to me."

"Not bad," Jack commented. "What were your terms?"

"I told them if they wanted me to continue to work for them, they'd give me first use of the result," Riku shrugged. "They need me because I'm one of only three who can do the work. One of them was only doing it because I told him to, the other gave me the tool he needed so I could do it better. Now I've taken what they need out of their reach, they're completely dependent on my good will. Which seems to very suddenly be in short supply."

"You don't leave a lot of room for negotiation, do you? What will you do if they don't come to you?"

Riku considered it, not having thought of that possibility yet, then answered, "Find out how to steal it from under their noses and make use of it anyway. Since they can't progress without me, I've got all the time in the world for that."

"I'm taking a liking to you already. But let me settle something with you." Jack got up, removing one of the glass panes in the back of his cabin. He stuck his sword out, fished around for a moment, then pulled it back in with the struggling Hook Bat on the other end, quickly pinned against the wood frame as he set the glass back. "Yours, I presume? Another of these Heartless creatures like the ones out there?"

"Well I had to find you somehow, Jack," Riku said with an air of innocence. "Leaving it aboard the Pearl meant I knew exactly where it was, and that led you to me. I certainly never had any intentions of letting it do anything harmful, of course."

"Of course," he replied, seeing through the feigned expression. "But I'd be obliged if you left it off my ship now you're here."

Riku glanced at it, and it vanished leaving Sparrow's cutlass still stuck into the wood.

"Anything else I can do for you, Captain? Persuade you to change course for the Isla de Muerta?"

"As soon as we've reached Tortuga," Jack countered. "You might not want rum, but the others will. And we'll be stopping by there and no arguing the point. Pirates without rum aren't the most friendly fellows." He paused, then added, "You do know your way around a sword, don't you mate?"

"Not a sword, but something very similar. You've seen what Ventus wields. Mine are just variants of that. One of them belonging to one of those nice gentlemen who need to negotiate with me. Want to see?" Riku offered. Jack looked curious, so he called the two Keyblades to his hands, Xemnas's to his right and the Keyblade of People's Hearts to the left.

Almost as soon as they had appeared, Xemnas's one vanished again and would not return.

"Quick showing," Jack noted.

"No, I think that was him taking it back off me. No matter, I'm still armed. I'd have a second weapon still, but I lent it to on of Ven's friends."

"As long as you can handle yourself in a fight, you'll have no trouble in Tortuga." Jack assured him.

* * *

><p>Riku had taken one look at Tortuga and decided he didn't like the look of it. It was a far cry from Port Royal, with drinking and wenching both clearly visible. Riku had persuaded Jack to let him stay with the ship, arguing that at least he'd remain sober enough not to let anyone try to steal it.<p>

He watched as Jack and a part of the crew headed into what he assumed was supposed to be the town, only to see Jack get slapped in the face twice by women who clearly recognised him. There were a few muffled snickers among the crew, but otherwise it passed mostly unnoticed.

After a time some rum was brought aboard and spread around the remaining crew, though he noticed not offered to him. Maybe Jack had mentioned something, or maybe they felt it was just as well they had someone sober keeping watch while they drunk themselves into a loud carouse.

As night fell, Riku continued to keep watch. He'd have preferred to get some sleep himself, but since he wasn't a pirate himself he figured he'd catch some shut-eye once they set sail again and stay up late instead. The town itself seemed to have similar ideas, sounds of faint music and fighting still echoing down to the docks even this late at night.

A familiar scent caught his nose, causing him to instinctively level his Keyblade toward the source.

"My, you have grown up," Maleficent remarked as her green fire faded. "Frequenting pirate ports too now. A far cry from the boy I took in."

Riku said nothing, eventually, lowering his Keyblade again and returning to his watch.

"What are you up to now?"

"Do I need a reason to visit an old friend, Riku?"

"We're not friends. You knew what I was and you didn't tell me. There are so many things you didn't tell me it's impossible to think I ever trusted you."

"Perhaps. I understand you've been having a disagreement with what remains of the Organization. All the Heartless will tell me is that you're going around gathering them up. Why is that, Riku?"

"If I don't, the Organization will simply harvest them for their hearts. Much as I want Kingdom Hearts for myself, I want it on my terms, not theirs. Since they seem to think they no longer need me, I'm going to put that to the test. They can have Heartless – if they negotiate for them. They can have me back at work – if they meet my terms."

"And still you would deny me Kingdom Hearts and my dominion over all worlds?"

"Don't start that tiresome argument again, Maleficent," he sighed. "I'm going to set it free. As for dominion... I told Ansem and I'm telling you. I don't want dominion. If you want it, you're going to need my cooperation, and that won't come cheap. Besides, you don't have anything I want."

"You know however I will continue to pursue it even without you."

"Not without the Heartless you won't. Just like Xemnas – if you want any, you can negotiate with me for them."

"You are making yourself very powerful enemies, Riku... but I am not among them. I cannot oppose you so long as you hold the Heartless. So instead I offer my assistance."

"Assistance? Just how do you think you can help me?"

"For a start, I can return this to you," she said, holding out one hand. Hanging from it was the crown, no longer black and silver but pure silver once again. "I took the liberty of removing my previous enchantment from it. I suspected you left it behind once you knew I had returned due to that."

"Thank you," he said, putting it back in its place around his neck. "What else?"

"Ventus knows what I am doing. It was he who directed me to here. He has told me about the Organization's Nyx, and I have told him what I learned of it myself. Vexen worked with me for a time, after all."

"And?"

"The shadow you saw in Demyx's room is all that is left of Demyx. What you saw, and what you destroyed in Radiant Garden was his body, but it was not him. Think of it as a twisted echo of him created by Nyx. Quite a remarkable project. Zexion believes you will be able to commune with Demyx through your darkness, and though the nature of Nyx means he cannot be restored to life even as a Nobody, he may prevent the inevitable fading away by choosing to take up residence with another. Given the nature of your Replica body, you may wish to consider offering yourself up for this."

"First Sora and me, now Demyx too. Any more and it's going to get crowded in here," Riku grumbled. "I take it I'll be able to make use of him the same way I can Sora."

"Of course. The three of you can work together to make use of each others abilities in any combination you require. Now Riku... I have told you what I know and done what I can. Do not seek to presume you can order me around. I will learn what more I can about the Organization's intentions, but only because I choose to."

"Whatever you say," Riku agreed. "Just don't go getting yourself destroyed again, will you?"

"Me, the mistress of all evil?" her voice soared. "As if that were possible!" Then she left.

Riku remained silent for a time, then chuckled to himself and said, "Maybe you forgot it was a Replica of Sora that beat you before."


	68. Shadow Talk

During the night Riku had pulled in another Hook Bat, locating and stationing it aboard the Dauntless. Commodore Norrington wanted to find Captain Sparrow and probably also him too after seeing the Emerald Blues help them make their escape in the slack winds, which would inconvenience him more than a little.

Once the staggering crew had finally reeled aboard, followed by their similarly swaying captain, they turned about and left port without hitting too many ships on the way out. Only one other ship had actually responded to the slight collision with a slurred, "Mangy son of a three legged donkey!"

After that, he'd taken to the captain's cabin to get some shut-eye and leave them to the business of finding the Isla de Muerta. If it took the offer of a bit of treasure to hide the Heartless there, so be it. No one would really ask where a pirate had got it from, after all.

Jack once again had other ideas however, rousing him again.

"Up with you! Or we'll never make it," Jack shouted, his breath almost overpowering this close.

"Gods sakes Jack, what are you talking about. Did something happen?"

"Only your Heartless beasties going off their own way. Wind's picked up so no need to panic, but we're without a course."

"You _do_ know where to go, don't you?"

"Of course I do. I just don't know exactly where it is."

Riku took stock of that sentence.

"So we're lost?"

"Not at all. I know exactly where we are."

"Then explain to me what the problem is again?"

Jack set a small, ornate box on the table before him, opening it to reveal a compass spinning this way and that.

"That is our problem, Riku. It should be pointing to the Isla de Muerta."

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't compasses supposed to point north?"

"Not this one. It points to what you want most in this world. Which for me, is not to go to that godforsaken rock. As you can see."

"If that's the case, it looks like you're having trouble deciding what you want most."

"Precisely. Of course I'll deny that if you try to tell anyone. You however want to go there, and so..." Jack picked it up and placed it in Riku's hands. The compass continued to spin for a few moments, then settled somewhere off to their left.

"How convenient," Riku murmured. "And I suppose you want me to take the helm."

"Easiest way lad. Come on, hop to. Hands on deck and all that."

Riku grumbled to himself, leaving Jack behind with another of his ever-present rum bottles as he took the Pearl's helm. At least this time he had some experience, though the crewman who appeared to be first mate watched him warily.

"You're not from round here are ye?" he asked Riku eventually.

"No. You could say I'm from the same place Ventus is, except I don't exactly know where that is."

"An off-worlder, then," he decided.

"Ven told you that?"

"Aye. And that we're not to mention it to anyone else, but since you're like him..."

"Fair enough. You're..."

"Joshamee Gibbs. Once a sailor in the royal navy, now a pirate through and through."

"You say it like a bad thing. The first part, I mean."

"The pay was better," Gibbs quipped. "What about you, Riku? I've heard rumblings about you. Some of the crew overheard you last night, and Ventus mentioned you not a few times too."

"I'm in this for my own gain, you could say. The two people left that I used to work for are after the same thing I am, only I plan to pull it out from underneath them and put it to better use. Ventus and his friends can see why I'm doing it and are helping out."

"You left a fair bit out there," Gibbs observed. "Not that I'm saying you've got to tell mind. Everyone's got their skeletons. But if we're to be getting involved..."

"Not past this, don't worry," Riku assured him. "Once the Heartless are safely stashed away, no one can get to them but me. And they're essential for anyone to reach the goal in mind. I'd rather patiently wait until I can have things my way than work for them and let them steal it from me."

"Should've been a pirate," he chortled. "You've certainly got the mind for it. Keep watch on that compass lad, and we'll be set. I'll keep everything else running for you."

"Drink some rum on my behalf, would you?" Riku asked. "I don't drink it myself, but you're welcome to my share."

* * *

><p>The Isla de Muerta was a distinctly uninviting rock surrounded by rough seas and a graveyard of shipwrecks. The compass steered them true to a calmer bay surrounded on three sides by the island. Only a narrow bit of stone allowed for access into the island itself, where Jack at least assured him the treasure lay in wait.<p>

Riku didn't entirely trust it himself, sending various Heartless ahead to ensure it was safe, all the while listening to Jack recount the embellished story of his encounter with the mutinous Captain Barbossa.

"You left his body there, you said?" Riku interrupted at one point.

"I was hardly going to take it with me," Jack replied. "Why?"

"It's not there now. No bodies, nothing. The treasure's gone, except for the stone chest. You're sure you killed him, right?"

"Watched him go down with my own two eyes. No way he's getting up and wandering off after that. Treasure's gone too, you say?"

"The Heartless say there's nothing there but the chest, Jack. Someone's beat you to it."

"Can you trust what they say?"

"I'm not going in there on my own, and you're certainly not going anywhere near it. The amount of Heartless that are in there right now, it's too dangerous for you."

"I thought you had them under control?"

"I do," Riku sighed. "There's just a lot of them, and they're all struggling against my command. It's difficult enough to stop them trying to leave the cavern and come after us, if you go in there right now the only way you're coming out is as a Heartless yourself, and you'd not be fancying that. No, I'm not trying to cross you Jack. I don't even have a reason to want the treasure myself. It's gone."

Jack looked dismayed for only a few moments before he brightened and turned back to his expectant crew. "Well, we'll just have to hunt it down."

"Are you forgetting the Dauntless is still out there?" Gibbs said.

"Actually the Dauntless is quite a ways over there," Riku said, absently waving one hand toward it. "I don't have a very good grasp of distance just from the location of one Heartless, but I'd say they're at least a few hours away. If you head generally that way," Riku pointed the opposite direction. "You'll be fairly safe. I guarantee you that, after seeing how swift the Black Pearl is. I'd join you, but my work here is done. Now I know where this place is, I'll be able to come back and get the Heartless as I need."

"And if we're ever in need of a favour and you're around, you can bet we'll be calling on you mate," Jack told him. "Got to do something to make up for the deficit of treasure, haven't you?"

Riku grabbed a few more Hook Bats and collected them nearby.

"Go scout that way," he told them, pointing opposite the Dauntless. "Let me know what ships you find, and be quick about it." Then to the Pearl's crew, "At least then I can see to it you get in a spot of honest pirating."

* * *

><p>The World that Never Was was much quieter without most of the Organization, and quieter still without the Heartless that had previously plagued Dark City. White bodied Nobodies occasionally weaved down the empty rain-soaked streets, but no longer were there Heartless there.<p>

Riku didn't bother to retrieve his coat from his room, heading silently through the familiar halls of the castle. Saïx hadn't been in the Grey Area or any of the rooms when he'd looked in from Dark City, and only Xemnas remained up at the Altar of Naught and the remaining portal. No hearts came through it now, all Keyblade wielders cut off from the supply of Heartless.

His darkness-fuelled vision had revealed Demyx's shade still sat on the bed in his room, though by itself it was too indistinct to tell what he was doing. Riku made his way for Demyx's room, pausing at every door to listen warily in case Saïx had returned since then. A door closing would give him away now.

He heard the faint voice of Saïx coming anyway, taking refuge in what was technically still his room and listening to the voice as it became clearer.

"...not as if I haven't helped you," Saïx said. Was there someone with him? "If it weren't for me, we'd never be this far." A pause then. "Well yes, that is a bit of a setback. He can only hold out for so long though. He is after all unaware of us." Another pause. "No, it'd be too soon to do that just yet. What if he suspected? Ansem no doubt left him wary of that kind of thing." Saïx's voice stopped again, very close to the door, then close enough to be right outside he spoke again, "In good time, of course. He thinks he can be patient, and so can we. Then we'll be thirteen again and he'll not oppose us." Saïx stopped yet again, then retreating away from the door again, "Yes, yes, of course I'll see to it. _He'll_ have my head if I don't. Why keep working through him if you're so willing to talk to me, anyway? Oh, he doesn't know? But why keep that from him?" Saïx continued to talk apparently to himself.

Riku waited until he'd faded into inaudibility again, letting himself out of his room and looking up the corridor after him thoughtfully. If Saïx wasn't losing his mind, it sounded like he'd picked up someone to talk to, much like when Xehanort's Heartless had talked to him.

For a moment he considered he might have collected Demyx, but a brief tug on the darkness as he entered Demyx's room showed the startled shadow against silhouetted against the window.

"Hello Demyx," Riku said to the shadow. The shadow drew back further.

_-Stay away!-_ Demyx's voice sounded in Riku's head.

"Calm down. I'm here to help you."

_-Help? You're the reason this happened to me!-_

"Only indirectly. And now I want to do something about it. You help me, I'll help you. Deal?" he asked, holding out his hand. Demyx's shade hesitated, but eventually reached for Riku's hand only to pass through.

_-Deal-_


	69. A Day with Demyx

Demyx was more erratic than he had been before, but the voice coming from the upset shade at least sounded more like his more passive self than it had back at Radiant Garden.

_-I don't even know what happened exactly,-_ he confided. _-Saïx was having a go at me for my usual dislike of fighting – you know, the usual fare. That was back just after Roxas left us. I figured I'd just tune out and let him have his rant like usual, except the next thing I know he's telling me he's going to do something about me, herding me along with that claymore of his to make sure I actually did what he wanted.-_

"I think that's the second time I've ever known him to draw a weapon," Riku murmured.

_-First, actually. The other time was when we captured Sora, that came later. Anyway, he took me down to Vexen's older labs down in the city. Xemnas wouldn't let him run some of them up here or even at Castle Oblivion. This one was for a project they called Nyx.-_

"I've heard of it. Ventus told me about the Nobody who previously held Luxord's position, and what happened."

_-Good. Saves me some time. I never learned much about Nyx when they first had it, and I still don't know too much about it now. I'll spare you the details of what exactly he did to me – just if you see him with a syringe, don't let him near you. Nothing _seemed_ to be any different to me afterwards though. He just told me to carry on, which kinda seemed a bit odd if you ask me.-_

"How long until things started to happen? And what kind of things, for that matter?" Riku added after a moment's thought.

_-Within a couple of days. I didn't recognise the signs until after it was too late, of course,-_ Demyx said resentfully. _-Bloody hindsight. Sometimes I'd be fending off Heartless and I'd just find extra strength somewhere to fight them with, or some of my magic would have a sudden spike and get stronger. I didn't think much of it. After a while though, there was like... not quite a voice, just a sort of mental suggestion. Maybe I didn't need to go outta my way to avoid the Heartless. Maybe it was just easier to cut through them. Started suspecting there was something wrong when I got cornered once. One moment I'm completely surrounded, then I black out and the next thing I know the Heartless are all gone, and I've got a stone sword ripped off a nearby statue in hand.-_

"Must have been Nyx then. You don't remember it because it took over."

_-Yeah, that's what I thought too. Well, what I do now, anyway. Happened a few more times after that, usually only when I found the odds stacked vastly against me. I reckon it was rigged that way too. Then Saïx calls me down into Dark City and tells me to go on a Sora Searching Patrol with him. I really didn't want to find him, not after what he'd done to Xaldin, but that stupid nagging voice guided me into being in the right place at the right time. I came just in time to see Saïx and Sora fighting. That Nyx didn't take over then, but it did give me strength to subdue Sora. It got worse when I got told I had to feed him. Every time he yelled at me for something I felt like I wanted to punch him. You know me, Riku – that's not what I'm like.-_

"No, if anything you're the one getting hit," Riku smiled. "I imagine the next time something happened was when I came to rescue the Sora Replica disguised as Tidus?"

_-You mean Saïx really was telling the truth? That it was you?-_

"Yeah. Simply put, if that's possible, I'm both Sora and Riku, and the part of me that's Sora retains a link to his Replica. He warned me the Replica was in danger and told me to 'wear a different face'. Since this body is a Replica itself – just the body mind," he said quickly, sensing Demyx's surprise. "I can make it appear as I want to. For example..."

Riku focused momentarily, recalling Demyx as he'd appeared before Nyx.

_-Damn! That's like looking into a mirror!-_ he exclaimed.

"Glad you like it," Riku replied, now using Demyx's voice. "I've not used it much, but I think the only limits are what my imagination can provide. So far though I've only been myself, Sora, Tidus, Cloud, and now you too."

_-The possibilities must be endless,-_ Demyx remarked in awe. _-Alright. So that was you I saw pretending to be Tidus, and yeah, that was the next time something happened. In a way, it marked the end of me. Remember when I appeared to snap and ignore Saïx's orders? That was when Nyx finally overpowered me for good. I was able to see what it did until it left, then I was left like this in here. I could still sense what it was doing, but... I had no influence any longer. I'd been evicted from my own body. Then Cloud – I mean, you – destroyed it... I guess in a way I was glad you did that. Better lost than under Nyx's control. Except then it hit home. I knew what had happened to the old Nobody, the voices I'd heard when Luxord gave me this room. All I've got left to look forward to is fading away while haunting this place.-_

"But you sensed my touch when I first saw you. I watched you come to the window to try to find me, and that same touch is what's letting me hear you now. In a way, I've linked us – and I think I can do more than that. I've heard from Ventus, Zexion and grudgingly from Maleficent-"

_-Maleficent? Why are you having dealings with her?-_ he interrupted.

"Simple. I intend to steal Kingdom Hearts from Saïx and Xemnas. I suspect they know this. Since Xemnas has taken back his Keyblade, that meant they no longer needed me, so I went about, collected all the Heartless and hid them safely in a place that can only be found by those who already know where it is."

_-Isla de Muerta,- _Demyx said absently. _-World of Port Royal. First discovered by Captain Jack Sparrow some ten years ago before his first mate Hector Barbossa mutinied and left him on an island so he could take the treasure for himself. Ventus helped Jack escape... ah, why am I telling you all this. Go on.-_

"You're a gold mine of information Demyx, do you know that?" Riku observed. "Along the way to hiding them there, Maleficent showed up and let me know she'd found out what I'd done. She's used to using the Heartless, so without them she's... well, not exactly powerless, but there's nothing for her to do. So she's reluctantly admitted it's in her best interests to help me, because the sooner I complete Kingdom Hearts, make a few selfless uses of it, and set it free, the sooner I'll release the Heartless again."

_-Yeah, I can see how she'd be sorta stuck without you then. Watch your back though, she won't hesitate to stab it if it gets her Heartless sooner.-_

"Don't worry about me, Demyx. Now, to continue where I left off... Between what I've learned from the three of them, we think I can put off the inevitable fading away that would otherwise be in store for you. I'm already Sora and Riku together, and Sora definitely keeps his own self even as a part of me. We could do the same thing for you – and maybe more. Sora's come out and taken control once in a while. Right now, I look like you. What's to stop you from surprising Saïx and rising from the grave?"

Demyx's shade appeared thoughtful, the featureless form apparently staring out into Dark City beneath.

_-It's an interesting idea,-_ he started, rising and pacing about the room. _-You'd benefit from my keen eye and information, and at least I'd get a chance to exist again. Even if it is as a part of you. Better that than this until I just cease to exist. Maybe when you get the chance to use Kingdom Hearts we can see if it'll do something to help me too?-_

"In theory possible. Axel once found me a book Xemnas wrote that detailed the possibilities of Kingdom Hearts. I already think I can ask it to restore Sora and me to our separate selves. It should be possible to add you to that too, but I can't say for sure if it'll give you a heart again."

_-Hey, I'll take being a Nobody over being nothing, believe me. You think I like this existence? I can't even leave this room. Except for you and Nyx, no one can see me. No one even knows I'm here. Saïx has come in several times searching for something, but either I'm not here to him, or he's good at acting.-_

"Somehow I can't see Saïx being _that_ good. What d'ya say, Demyx? Help me out? And if we get a chance to go up against Saïx, I'll do more than kick him a few times for you, I'll let you do it yourself."

Riku got the distinct impression the shade was smirking now.

_-C'mon, Riku. Lets go show Saïx I know the secret to resurrection.-_

* * *

><p>Riku relaxed, or at least as much as he could do after handing over to Demyx. They'd quickly found that only he could alter the appearance of his body, so he'd taken control again briefly to correct a number of minor mistakes and oversights that Demyx's powers of observation had noticed, then handed back and let him handle things. He could watch what happened himself.<p>

It wasn't the same as when Sora came out, though that could just be because Sora only seemed to show up at night, and even then Sora was actually a part of him as a whole, while Demyx was a separate mind.

They found Saïx once again in his accustomed place, though not stood at the window. Instead he was sat on one of the couches, poring over documents on the table before him. He sat with his back to them, apparently not expecting anyone to pay a call on him.

"Relax, Demyx," Riku murmured, sharing the voice with him.

"It's your hearts," he complained. "Its been so long since I last actually felt anything, I'm not used to having them again. It's hard to control them."

"Don't then. I don't control them. Sometimes they influence me, but-"

"You're missing the point. I have to. I'm a Nobody, remember?" Demyx took a deep breath, tried again to calm himself, then at last headed into the Grey Area, calling ahead, "Evening Saïx. Didn't mean to be back so late – took me longer than expected to get back."

Saïx actually flinched back from the sound of Demyx's voice, turning quickly with quickly hidden surprise touching his normally impassive features.

"You – you're-"

"What? I'm what?"

"What happened to you, Demyx?" Saïx asked, getting control of himself again. "I had reports you had been terminated in Radiant Garden by Cloud."

"Rumours of my demise have been greatly exaggerated. So was the demise itself. It was a simple trick that made it look like I'd been destroyed. Had to lie low for a while to make sure no one suspected."

"There were traces of your remains at the scene," he said almost accusingly.

"Yeah, I know," Demyx replied. "I put them there. Attention to detail, Saïx. Gotta make it convincing, and look – it was. I even fooled you. Can't get much better than that, can you?"

"But you were... you've shaken off Nyx."

"You mean that aggressive voice that kept trying to take control?" Demyx said flatly. "Yeah. Those remains were how I got rid of it. That and a little help from Riku. Haven't seen him since, before you ask."

Saïx's expression was still a calm front, but it was clear this apparent development had shaken him. When he spoke again he paused often, appearing to be making it up as he went along, constantly thinking.

"You are... very well we will... find something for you to do. We hadn't planned anything since your... your apparently obvious termination but now... I will speak with Xemnas and see what can be done. You... you should return to your room for now. When we have need of you we will call on you again."

"Sure thing. But do me a favour, Saïx? Next time you want me to be more aggressive, just say so. You never know what I might be able to come up with if you ask nicely for a change."

"Like call on me?" Riku suggested quietly as they left.

"What else?" Demyx agreed.


	70. All Planned Out

**A/N: **Happy new year all! After a christmas and new year's break, I'm back and already writing more for you people. Aren't I nice to you?

* * *

><p>With the Heartless locked away and Demyx covering for him, peace rapidly broke out. White-bodied Nobodies flocked out of the World that Never Was in search of Heartless and Riku, though they only ever came back empty-handed – those that did return, anyway. Nobodies did not share the strength of their Heartless cousins, but made up for it with what was left of their minds. Since the lesser Nobodies didn't have much to think with, this didn't really alleviate the problem much.<p>

After two days left in Demyx's room to cool, Saïx finally paid them a personal visit. Interestingly, the arm he'd injured before was back in a sling, but there was no explanation.

"We have a task for you," he told them, unaware Riku was listening in.

"Define 'we'," Riku said. He caught a momentary flash of irritation from Demyx as suddenly stepping in, but hid it from Saïx, instead continuing, "Both of you, or just you?"

"In this instance, Xemnas concurs with me," he answered. "We must determine Riku's whereabouts. While Xemnas has retrieved his Keyblade and the ability to wield it, Riku has managed to make good on a threat he made. There are no Heartless to be found anywhere, and as you know..."

"Just find him, find him and drag him here or find him, beat him up until he agrees to cooperate and then drag him here?" Demyx asked.

_-Demyx!-_ Riku exclaimed in the silences of their minds.

_-Oh hush,-_ the reply came back. _-It's not as if I can make good on it, right?-_

_-It's the principle of it!-_

Saïx didn't even take a moment to consider the suggestions, going on oblivious of this exchange.

"Merely locate him for now. Once we are aware of his situation, we will be in a better position to negotiate with him. Xemnas has no wish to meet the boy's terms, but we may be able to manipulate the situation to our advantage."

"He's not gonna be easy to find you know," Demyx warned. "He's good at hiding. He's already shown us where his real loyalties lie, who knows how much he managed to do behind our backs?"

"We do," Saïx shrugged. "He wasn't aware of how much we knew about him. Xemnas allowed it to go on, on the grounds that it amused him."

"Amused him? Saïx, are we talking about the same Nobody here?"

"There is more to Xemnas than you've been told. Go to work, Demyx. Come find me whenever you find something."

"Just one thing. When you go to see Riku, don't drag me along. He thinks I've been destroyed as it is."

Saïx merely nodded and left again

_-I imagine you didn't want to mention that you can't be seen with me anyway,-_ Riku remarked.

"Just taking precautions early," Demyx murmured aloud. "This way he'll know I won't go, so I've got an excuse not to be there. Where should I find you?"

_-No idea, but lets give him a bit of a run around. They always seem to know when their Nobodies have been destroyed, so in the course of your 'search' I'll occasionally show up, obliterate some of them, then disappear again just as quickly. We can tell Saïx you just missed me.-_

"Won't work," he replied almost immediately. "He'll want more details. You've got to remember the details, Riku. First we have to take care no Nobodies notice the handover from me to you, in case any escape to report back. Then we have to make sure there's a place they haven't been and won't have thought to be, leave a few hints at the scene. That'll provide us an alibi so I can say that's where I was when I saw you. Got to make sure we have a reason to be there too. _Then_ we do the massacre, safe in the knowledge that we've covered ourselves."

Riku considered that a time, then finally thought, _-How did I ever manage without you, Demyx? I just sort of made it up as I went along.-_

"I noticed. Trust me Riku, this way is better. A bit of planning can save a lot of work later on. You don't think I was really as lazy as I seemed, do you?"

_-I'm starting to realize, at least. We'd better get moving – we don't want Saïx to get suspicious again.-_

Demyx didn't answer, opening a corridor with an absent wave of a hand. Riku noticed the thoughts that told him they were heading for one of the worlds Ventus had told him about, but he'd never been to himself – the Castle of Dreams.

"You know, I owe you for this, Riku," Demyx said after a time. "Feels good to be useful again. Might not have liked to work as such, but at least I had something to do."

_-No issues turning on the Organization then, I take it?-_

"What's left of it isn't even worth working for. Better working for you, at least with you I get to exist again. And feel too," he added. "I might lose it when you talk to Kingdom Hearts, but at least for this time I get to borrow your hearts to feel with. I forgot how alive it makes you feel."

_-Enjoy it while it lasts then. Now, lets work on looking like we're working.-_

* * *

><p>With Demyx's aid they'd travelled to several worlds, caused several random Nobodies in a few worlds to suddenly break out in a bad case of dead that escalated into a minor epidemic in Radiant Garden, scouted out numerous locations to use as potential sites for Demyx's faked 'Riku Sightings' and collected a variety of knick-knacks that would be left at such scenes to prove Demyx really had been there.<p>

Along the way he'd learned a great deal about each world, uncovering all kinds of interesting facts Demyx had turned up in his work – a number of them about Ventus.

In Twilight Town he was known by another name – Shock – and was also a known troublemaker. He had a reputation for being where he wasn't supposed to be, had been thrown out of school multiple times, and was often seen in the company of Hayner's gang. On the other hand he was also known to be reliable, honest when he wasn't avoiding getting into trouble, and a dependable worker when it came to getting a job.

Although he'd never been to the Disney Castle, Ventus had been to the nearby town where his good side had clearly won out. He'd helped around the town so much during a special event that he'd won the Million Dreams award, which he'd promptly refused to accept alone and insisted his friends Terra and Aqua also shared in, all to the annoyance of Pete, who had at last been banished by Queen Minnie for his antics, only to have Maleficent recruit him. Pete had been spotted once on their travels, searching for something in the Underworld. Demyx had decided to leave him be for now and look in on him if they needed to know more.

By significant contrast, there was a world that brought out the troublesome side of Ventus brilliantly. Prankster's Paradise was new to Riku, but Demyx revealed that he often skived off work here. After seeing the fairground setting, he wasn't surprised. Here Ventus, again under the name of Shock, had a reputation and long history of pranks and tricks. At least here they were tolerated in the spirit of good fun.

Port Royal unveiled more about his involvement with Jack Sparrow. He'd arrived not long after he'd gone into hiding, having no real purpose to his visit, so had stowed away on a merchant ship then made himself useful once found. That ship had belonged to rum smugglers who then ran across the marooned pirate captain, and that had been Ventus's introduction to piracy. He'd spent several years there sailing with Jack, and neither of them seemed to have been concerned about any of the trouble they were getting into. The ease with which Roxas had turned on the Organization seemed to have come from here.

He was a known regular visitor to Halloween Town, often providing inspiration to Jack Skellington for each new Halloween and guiding him carefully away from another visit to neighbouring Christmas Town, where Jack had inadvertently caused trouble twice before. There had been one concession to keeping out of trouble there in the form of a gravestone and deliberately open grave. The coffin inside had been well-padded and showed signs of use, while the inscription above simply read 'Here lies Ventus'. A sign had been hung on it that added the note: 'Out finding someone to eat, back at the next full moon.'

There had been much more besides, giving all kinds of insights into Ventus's character, but one thing stuck out clearer than the rest – Castle Oblivion. Demyx obligingly took a side trip to investigate.

Ventus and Aqua had once hidden the X-blade here, Ven had told him. That was why the Land of Departure had been changed into Castle Oblivion. In a room Demyx's gold mine of information told him was known as the Chamber of Waking, it rested, but the very design of Castle Oblivion meant that anyone who went looking for it reportedly became lost. They tried many things to try to trick the castle into cooperating and letting them find either Chamber or blade, but Castle Oblivion seemed to hold all the aces – for now.

Then their first days rounds made, Riku put in his own appearance at the Organization's Castle. Saïx was again looking into various documents in the Grey Area when he, once again in control and in his own form, exited the corridor.

"Still here?" Riku asked mildly. "I thought you'd be out hunting for me."

"I have... an agent out looking for you," Saïx replied. "Though if you persist in coming here-"

Riku held up a hand. "This is just a courtesy call. If you want to negotiate, you'll have to get out and find me. I saw your 'agent' by the way. Who is he?"

"You don't know?"

"Obviously. All I saw was someone wearing one of your coats, and it didn't look like yours or Xemnas's. The hood was up, so I couldn't tell you who it was."

_-Remind me next time we're out to find a reason to put the hood up then, just in case he goes looking for himself,-_ Demyx murmured.

"The Nobody is... someone new," Saïx covered. "We found him just this morning. Since we are short of members, we put him to work right away. Fortunately, his prior self asserted itself quick enough to allow us to make use of his skills without requiring any training."

"Interesting. I'd like to know how he was formed, given that none of the Heartless have seen anyone. I'd know if they had."

There was the briefest of pauses while Saïx thought up his answer. "He was experimenting with darkness and lost his heart to it."

_-He's getting better at covering the gaps in his story,- _Demyx observed. _-Mind if I...-_ he left it hanging. Riku mentally stepped aside for Demyx to put in a remark of his own, not that Saïx would notice the difference.

"That's even more interesting given that no-one's out there using the darkness except you two and me. Even Axel and Zexion have gone off using it now they're working with Ventus."

Saïx stared again, taking his time to think things through before he answered this time. "You cannot be everywhere, Riku. We have Nobodies out in all worlds, and through them we learn a great deal. You are only one man however, and without the Heartless you cannot know everything, especially the things people keep secret."

"Just because I don't let the Heartless consume anyone's hearts, doesn't mean I don't put them to work," Riku corrected him. "You just have to wield an iron control over them, not letting them have their way. They don't like it very much, but they're powerless to disobey me. As it happens, I have a few in Twilight Town."

Demyx sighed. _-Making things up again?-_

_-Heartless can appear and disappear whenever they want – or I tell them to,- _Riku silently replied. _-He doesn't know where these mythical Heartless are, what they are, or if they're going to still be there whenever someone goes looking. He can't verify it.-_

Out loud, Riku continued, "One of them is keeping an eye on the old mansion for me, since Ansem the Wise may return there at some point. There were no Nobodies created there."

"That is not the only place Nobodies appear when created," Saïx tried.

"But it is the most common. Lesser Nobodies are different, but all those who've been complete enough to join the Organization appear there."

Saïx appeared to give up. "Just go away Riku. No one wants to argue with a smart-ass."


	71. Sora's Sojourn

Sora waited until both Riku and Demyx were soundly sleeping before he rose. What he had in mind tonight would benefit them, but if they didn't know about it they couldn't slip up and reveal it. Through what Demyx had revealed to them that day, he'd noticed several things and connected a few dots. The Organization wasn't entirely out of business yet. It was just a question of if they had noticed it yet.

Once he'd reasserted himself, he glanced in a mirror to see he'd been left as Demyx. Well, since Riku was hiding behind Demyx's miraculous recovery, it was understandable. Not suited for what he planned to do though. All it would take was one sighting... no, Riku needed his cover for now.

Instead he shifted once again to the appearance his Replica held, listening at the door for any sounds of movement. Silence, except for the usual faint humming of the devices providing power to the castle, keeping it floating in the air and making the last portal work.

He altered the shoes he had slightly, making it easier to sneak through the corridors on silent feet, remaining wary. Even if Xemnas was still watching the portal, Saïx could still be out and about, any there could be any number of lesser Nobodies around.

There were none along his route however, allowing him to make it to the foot of the stairs leading up to the Altar of Naught. Xemnas was there, though this time not merely standing still. He'd allowed his stolen body to revert to Riku's appearance and had taken up the Keyblade he'd lent to Riku, seeming to be practising with it. Only the tell-tale amber eyes revealed the true identity, even if Sora hadn't already known.

Sora considered his options. He was concealed well enough that even if Xemnas happened to look this way, he'd be too distracted by his personal training to notice him. He was still in a position to block any direct attempt made for the portal.

A brief risk and glance out later told him there was no way he'd be able to scale the walls to come at the portal from another side. They were a sheer flat drop. The only access was the stairs or the sky, and that meant he needed a distraction. What would distract Xemnas at a time like this?

Riku probably wouldn't approve of what he thought of, but what was a few hearts, a tiny sliver of what they needed, if it would lock them out of the one last Keyblade bearer who had any Heartless to play with?

That thought alone reminded him he'd come here for more than one reason. Just as Riku did, he closed his eyes and looked out toward the portal through the darkness. There were no hearts besides the unfinished Kingdom Hearts, but there was a very faint trail. A lone heart had ascended recently. It wasn't concrete, but it was enough to satisfy him for now.

Sora knew where the Heartless were being kept, having seen Riku put them there. Now he reached back to Port Royal and from there to the Isla de Muerta. Riku still held his control over them, but Sora knew Riku and how to disguise himself as Riku for the Heartless. They weren't hard to fool.

After a moment to search and bring them back along his trail with the commands they needed, two Tailbunkers appeared above the portal. Xemnas paused and looked thoughtfully up at them, hovering in the air watching him back.

"Heartless," Xemnas said eventually. He sounded identical to Riku, but that was only to be expected.

"You don't say?" Sora muttered.

"But why? A gift? An offering? Or perhaps a trap?" There was short silence. Sora felt something push against the command he and Riku held on them, then vanish again. "So they belong to Riku, but the question remains. Why here and now?"

"Because it's a trap you moron," Sora whispered impatiently. "Now will you take the bait?"

Xemnas didn't respond however, merely watching the Heartless watch him back. Sora held back the urge to sigh in exasperation, nudging the Heartless again. The Tailbunkers responded, veering off toward the city to alight on a nearby skyscraper, turning awkwardly once they'd landed to continue watching him. Xemnas had moved to continue to watch them, but still remained close enough to intercept Sora if he made a run for the portal.

Sora reached back again and collected two more Tailbunkers, who appeared with the two already there in an attempt to spur Xemnas into action.

"Intriguing. You have my attention, Riku," Xemnas called out. "You must be here somewhere for them to react thus."

"Guess again," Sora replied under his breath, then ducking completely out of sight as Xemnas started to scan the area. He couldn't afford to be seen just yet.

"If this is an attempt to broker an agreement between us, you will have to show yourself," Xemnas persisted.

This wasn't working the way he'd intended. He needed another option. It was a spur of the moment idea, and one Demyx would probably have had something to say about if he'd been awake to notice, but Sora took a few moments to ensure what he was doing would work.

His appearance shifted again, shimmering to reveal what he hoped as a nearly perfect replica of Saïx. There was no way he'd be able to make the eyes change colour though, so he improvised, adding a blindfold like the one Riku had used, pulling on the darkness, then stepping into view.

"I felt the presence of Heartless appearing," he called ahead to Xemnas. "What happened?"

"Riku appears to be toying with us," Xemnas replied, not having turned to see him yet. He did so as 'Saïx' approached, giving him a curious and slightly suspicious look.

"An experiment," Sora covered. "The darkness makes certain things visible that are not usually visible. I took a leaf from Riku and used the blindfold so my normal sight would not interfere."

"And what do you see?"

Sora made some show of looking about, though it was unnecessary – the darkness saw wherever he wanted to see, within reason.

"A very faint trail leading from the portal to Kingdom Hearts," he said eventually. "Otherwise nothing out of the ordinary. Perhaps field testing will reveal more, perhaps even a lead to finding Riku."

"Perhaps," Xemnas agreed, turning his attention back to the Heartless, his suspicions apparently laid to rest for now. "The issue remains however... what to do with this... gift."

"Emblem Heartless," Sora noted, as if seeing them for the first time. "Perhaps Riku is trying to show his generosity? A gift, in the hopes of enticing us to meet his terms?"

"Possible, but unlikely. It does not fit him."

"A trap then. But what could he hope to achieve? Four Heartless are hardly any threat. Still within range too, I note. You could destroy them from here simply by throwing your Keyblade at them."

"Indeed, the same thought had occurred to me. From this distance, any trap on them could only reach us if it were magic in nature, and as we know, Riku performs no magic."

"Then why not destroy them?"

There was silence for a time before Xemnas spoke again.

"Because you want me to. It took me a few moments to realise it. Your disguise is impressive Sora, but you don't talk like Saïx. I imagine behind the blindfold the true blue eyes you and Riku both have would be visible, hence the reason for the covering story.

"Damn you," Sora swore. "I thought I had you convinced."

"Almost. It was, as I said, impressive. A commendable attempt. Would I also be right in assuming that you are the one commanding these Heartless?"

For a moment Sora was tempted to pass it off on Riku, but instead he restored his appearance once again, nodding as he dismissed the four Tailbunkers.

"You had it right. A trap. I didn't want you seeing what I was up to."

"And what are you up to?"

Sora moved to the portal, watching it. It still flickered to various locations, but the one he sought was no longer visible.

"Ah," Xemnas murmured. "I understand now. You realise of course that even if you made Master Aqua aware of her actions, it is only a minor difference."

"You're still getting hearts through her. Riku hasn't thought of this yet, but I have. I can't allow you to have a source of hearts, even one that only gives you one rarely."

"Where is Riku, Sora?" Xemnas asked suddenly.

"With me, of course," he answered, unruffled. "He always is. Sleeping right now though, and completely unaware of this. I prefer to work without him around. Don't try to push me for more answers though, I won't give them. If you want to find Riku when he's awake, do it yourself. Give Demyx anything he needs, and you might have a better chance of finding him."

"You remain well-informed, I see. Is Riku still unaware of our... restored member?"

"I couldn't say. I don't get everything from him," Sora covered, watching intently. Part of the portal had stopped shifting, showing a moonlit beach with curious bone-white structures over it. Sora recognised it – it was where Riku had met Xemnas.

There was a woman on the beach, staring out to sea.

"Ah, so she has returned to the Dark Margin," Xemnas said, also noticing. "She returns there periodically, as if it holds some meaning to her. If you intent to speak to her, you should do so while there. She will give anyone a chance to speak their piece while there. Ansem the Wise was the last one she saw, a few days ago."

"I wonder what they talked about," Sora said to himself. "No sound, so I know you won't know." He watched for a while longer until the image faded and flickered away again, then turned back to Xemnas and said, "A word of advice for you. Don't get in my way. Riku can be reasonable when it suits him. I'm not. You stole my body-"

"Yours, Sora?" he interrupted.

"I may have to use that name, but before the storm, before Vexen nudged me into sharing the Paopu fruit, _I _was Riku. That body you inhabit was originally mine. Then Sora and I were fused by the fruit, and you intercepted me on the way to Hollow Bastion. You took it from us, leaving us in this Replica body. Don't expect even the slightest forgiveness for that, Xemnas. Riku won't hesitate to deal with you if you get in his way, but I'll obliterate you where you stand."

"And do you think you can stand against the master of nothingness? With a Keyblade once again in my grasp?"

"I don't know. But we won't find out here. See you around, Xemnas – like every time Riku sees you. You don't know how often he's seen you and you've never noticed."

Sora opened a corridor behind him, backing into it with no small satisfaction at the troubled look Xemnas now bore.

"Just remember," Sora said before disappearing into the corridor. "Maleficent had the right idea. And now Riku's using it himself. Have fun searching for us, won't you?" he smirked the cocky smirk Sora had always worn when he'd beaten Riku at something, then turned into the corridor.

Xemnas had helpfully told him exactly where Aqua was, and even invited him to go talk to her. The rare occasional heart she sent him from the Realm of Darkness, the only place Riku had not collected Heartless from, was not really the reason he wanted to see her.

But Castle Oblivion was. It, and the Door to Light that Sora now believed he knew the location of.


	72. Recon Jock

Aqua was resting, leaning against a tall obelisk as she stared out to see and the unmoving moon illuminating a shining path across the water. She didn't even glance up as the dark corridor formed with a rush of air, or as Sora exited and banished it with an absent wave of one hand.

Before he'd gone far down the beach, another figure intercepted him, wearing possibly the smallest black coat he'd ever seen.

"I thought I'd find you here," the bearer said in a quiet voice. "I need to speak to you – to both of you."

"Normally it's considered polite to introduce yourself before you start telling them what you need," Sora countered, keeping one eye on Aqua. She was still lost in thought, either unaware of what was happening or choosing not to notice.

"I'm... a friend," the hooded figure replied. "I can't reveal myself, not yet. The Nobodies are out looking for me, and I can't get caught."

A stray thought stole into Sora's mind. Could this possibly be...

"Alright," he said. "I think I know who you are. Go on."

"I have to warn you. Kingdom Hearts won't listen to you on your own. Either of you. You need everyone who benefited it to be present."

"Well Riku's with me, and I hardly think Ventus will be a problem. I don't think Xemnas has given it any hearts."

"He hasn't," the figure confirmed. "But he designed the portals. He was the tool that marshalled the hearts into Kingdom Hearts. He must be present, and if you ask it for anything, you need his consent too."

"That could be troublesome," Sora frowned. "Xemnas is likely to oppose us on general principles alone, and both of us would rather destroy him first."

"You can still set it free without him. If you, the King and Ventus all use your Keyblades at the same time, you'll be able to unlock it and release the captive hearts. But by doing that..."

"We'll lose the chance to make use of it," Sora finished.

"Exactly. Ansem said to consider your options carefully before either of you commit to a course of action."

"So you _are_ who I thought you were. Where can we find you?"

"You can't. I have to stay hidden. But I'm taking a leaf from you – hiding within someone else. She knows who I am and that I need to do it. I've spoken to her already. She also gave me a message for you. Well, Riku – but you're both. She said, 'Tell him I forbid him to do anything that might make things any worse than they are already, and if he doesn't come back either as one boy or two, I'll never forgive him'."

"Now there's motivation for you," Sora noted with a faint chuckle. "Go on back to Kairi. I'll pass this on to Riku as he needs to know it. I've got things in hand here."

Naminé turned aside into her own dark corridor, leaving him on the quiet beach with only Aqua for company. Besides the wash on the shore, there was no sound at all here. The sand didn't even scrunch underfoot, maybe because it had been here for so long it no longer felt the need.

"That was an interesting conversation," Aqua murmured as he approached, not turning to look. "The other one mentioned something about a boy who was two boys."

"Yeah, that's me," Sora nodded. "Well, kinda anyway. I'm one half. Riku's the other half, and he's busy sleeping right now."

"So you're Sora. Does he know what you're doing?"

"Riku? No. I don't bother him with things like this. Less for him to worry about, and he's got enough on his plate as it is. I pass things on to him from time to time, nudge him along when I need to, but mostly I leave him alone and do my own thing when I feel I have to."

"Like now?"

"Right. There's something I need to ask you to to, Aqua. And I don't offer nothing in return either – I think I've found something you've been trying to find for, oh, I imagine about ten years now."

Aqua glanced over to him, pursing her lips as she looked him over speculatively. There was a weariness to her face that had set in, having been shown for many years.

"He said you'd be the one to figure it out," she said at last. "But what you ask is dangerous Sora. Ventus and I locked it away for a reason."

"Who said anything about that?" Sora replied without changing expression. "What I was going to ask is much less significant. All I need is time. Time for me to get Ventus where I need him to be, and time in which you don't touch a single Heartless. Those creatures-"

"I know what the Heartless are, Sora," Aqua told him. "And I know where the hearts go. I see it every time I release one. The slight flicker of the portal Xehanort's Nobody created. They don't attack here. Nothing ever attacks here. A moment of serenity in a dark realm..."

"How come you know so much about what's going on if you've been in the realm of darkness all this time?" Sora asked.

"_He_ comes to visit me. Sometimes he comes here, and if I'm not here sometimes he'll go talk to my armour. I can still hear what he says to it, though it's a great effort to respond."

"He? You mean Xemnas?"

"Is that what he's been calling himself? He never would tell me. I only know he's Xehanort's Nobody... if you can even call him Xehanort. Maybe I shouldn't have forced him when I found him," Aqua mused to herself. "Maybe if I'd kept my distance I wouldn't be here... but then what would have become of Terra?"

Sora considered this for a time, thinking things through. He still had much of the night left to go. Maybe a second exchange was in order.

"Master Aqua, I think there's something else I need to ask you to do for me, something that also isn't anything to do with that blade. But first you and I need to be on the same page. You share with me what happened ten years ago, and I'll share what you don't know about what's happened since Riku and I got fused together. Sound good?"

"Hold on a moment, Sora. Tell me what you want first."

"Well, it'd be easier with the benefit of knowing, but I think I can give you a general idea..."

* * *

><p>Demyx rose first, feeling oddly tired for having a decent night's sleep, not to mention feeling... odd. He looked down under the covers, then sighed.<p>

"Wake up in there, Riku. You've changed our form in the night."

_-Not me.-_ Riku's response came back sleepily. _-I was sleeping. Who do we look like?-_

"Sora, I think. Why do I feel so tired?"

_-Ah. Sora's had one of his night-time excursions then. It happens from time to time. He never seems to want to bother me with them. Has he left any notes or messages on him for us this time?-_

Demyx searched himself, picking through the unfamiliar pockets of Sora's clothes. In one of them was a small envelope, containing a chain made to resemble drops of water and a short note written in spiky handwriting.

He glanced through the message, then said, "It's for you, I think. It says, 'Got this from a friend. Use as 2nd Keyblade. Tell Replica weapon not Soul Eater now. As Keyblade, Way to the Dawn. Kairi says don't make things any worse and be sure to get back to the islands. Also tell Ven go to our home tomorrow + stay all day. Sora'. He doesn't waste words much, does he?" Demyx observed.

_-I think he tries to keep it short so he doesn't have to risk getting seen and giving away our cover,-_ Riku replied. _-Hold on a moment and I'll sort out our appearance again.-_

"What should we do with this?" he asked, his voice crackling as it changed from Sora's to his own. "The Keyblade thing?"

_-Keep it safe. I think technically because of me you'll be able to borrow my Keyblades, but the Organization and the other worlds at large think otherwise. I'll do something about it when we arrange for a Riku sighting. Keep Sora's note safe too – we don't want Saïx finding out where he and I are.-_

"I've got a good memory, remember? I'll find a fire while we're out, or set one if I have to. The note can be burned, and I'll remember it if we need it again."

_-Well now all we have to do is decide what's going to happen on our rounds today. Maybe we should lay a few false trails for them?-_

Demyx shook his head, "I'd only be sent to follow them up. Better to leave it a few days. We'll think up a false trail and follow it to it's end, padding it out with the details Saïx will expect of me. Then we'll take it to him. Today I think we need a sighting."

_-Port Royal?-_ he suggested.

"Too busy. We want somewhere out of the way, somewhere unlikely. No one goes to Wonderland, so I'll tell him you probably thought the same thing. I 'happen' to notice you just as you spot me, you run, I follow but lose you. I'll lay the necessary effects out to prove it while we're there, and check on the Nobodies too. Just in case they'd be able to counter our story."

_-I wouldn't run exactly, Demyx. You know what I'm like better than that.-_

"Well, do you have a way to make it look as if I've been in a fight with you?"

_-We could stop by and ask Ventus to help. We've got to talk to Sora's Replica anyway.-_

"Now you're starting to think about the details properly," Demyx said approvingly. "I'll make a recon jock of you yet."

There was a pause, then indignantly, _-Recon jock?-_

"I don't mean it in a bad way, Riku. Just in my life before I was a Nobody, that was what everyone called me. And others who did the same job as me. We scouted out an area ahead of the main task force, whatever their goal happened to be. We were supposed to avoid combat, avoid contact, get the key intel first but try to scoop as much as possible – the more details the better, they always said. Once we'd done our job, we got out and let the others get on with it. Without us though, they'd never have done nearly as well."

_-What a fascinating insight into your life. Any reason you've never mentioned this before?-_

"Only the same reason you objected just now," he shrugged. "From my co-workers and friends it was one thing, but having to hear Xigbar or any of the others call me recon jock..."

_-Point taken.-_


	73. More Keyblades

Since Ventus did not yet know about what had happened with Demyx and only Sora's Replica had seen him defeated, Demyx and Riku had already agreed it was going to be worthwhile for them to meet Riku instead. Once they'd taken advantage of the Nobodies to find Ven's party in Halloween Town, they set about finding a suitable place to handle the changeover.

_-What about behind one of the graves just outside town?- _Riku suggested.

"Not enough cover," Demyx murmured, keeping his hood up just in case anyone spotted him. "Anyone could see over the walls."

_-There's that area just behind the gates in town.-_

"In town isn't an option – I told you that already. Too many chances to be seen. You want to get away from that, and anyway you'd have to explain how you got there without being noticed."

_-Never had to before,-_ Riku replied defensively. _-Anyway, the only other bit of cover I can think of are the trees down in the Hinterlands. There's that one with a Christmas tree on that's way thicker than the rest, and as long as we're not followed I'm fairly sure there's nowhere nearby where people can hide from us. The other trees around are too scrubby for that.-_

"See what I mean about the details?" Demyx said, heading that way. "Alright, you might lose a few options, but better to avoid getting caught than to have to explain yourself. You also didn't consider hiding under the bridge just beyond the curly hill," he went on. "But this one was a workable option too."

_-You mean you already knew where, and you were just testing me.-_

"Why not? Alright, so like this you can benefit from me anyway, but isn't it a good idea to learn anyway? Especially if you pull this off and split the three of us into separate beings again."

_-Nice to get mentioned,-_ Sora's voice murmured sleepily.

Demyx ran his more experienced eye critically over the Hinterlands, scanning it for any signs of life or Nobodies, then when he was satisfied they were as alone as they could be while sharing a single body, he ducked behind the tree.

"Over to you, Riku," he breathed.

Riku nudged their body into his own appearance, coat and all vanishing as it was replaced with the alterations he'd made in Port Royal. As it changed Demyx performed what he called a mental sidestep that let Riku take over.

"Now to look up Ventus," he said out loud, emerging from the tree. Still deserted.

_-Well think about what we learned while looking for this place. We know he's here somewhere, and the Nobodies reported he'd been seen with Jack.-_

"So likely anywhere Jack has been, and you said he was often found helping... what was his name?"

_-Doctor Finkelstein,-_ Demyx supplied. _-His place is just up the steps that are behind the gates you almost wanted to use.-_

Riku nodded, heading off back into town. Along the way he took out the chain Sora had obtained, swinging it absently from one hand. It caused a Keyblade to flash into existence, a grey-blue Keyblade that had a relatively simple design. The key's teeth were a rectangular design that was in some way similar to a crown, and the otherwise featureless blade met the rounded guard with two hollow diamonds.

"I wonder who he got it from?" Riku wondered idly, bringing his own Keyblade, still set as the completed Keyblade of People's Hearts, into his other hand. The borrowed Keyblade was shorter, but oddly heavier.

_-I think I recognise that Keyblade actually. By description, so I can't be sure. Xemnas once said he'd been talking to a friend about borrowing you a Keyblade – that was before he lent you his own one, of course. The Keyblade he described sounded like what you've got there. If it is that one, then Sora must have found this friend of Xemnas' and asked to borrow it.-_

"That doesn't tell us who this friend is though, or why she was willing to let Sora lend it to me, but not Xemnas."

_-She?-_

"I remember when I first joined, Xemnas said he was going to see about getting me a Keyblade. He said he knew someone, he just had to persuade her."

_-Aqua, then. But she's lost in the realm of darkness, last I heard. No one knows where she is.-_

"Sora?" Riku said expectantly, but there was no reply.

Ven meanwhile was just leaving Halloween Town as Riku entered. The note he'd added to the grave bearing his name was explained by his local appearance, as he had a pair of gleaming fangs on full display and a distinctly ashen appearance. He was posing as a vampire, obviously.

Donald looked like a mummy, while Goofy had been turned into something that looked like a combination of parts from various creatures that didn't entirely match, except to give him the same general shape. Axel looked like a zombie, even having a few bones showing, and there could be no mistaking Zexion for anything other than a resident mad scientist. Sora however remained unaffected, perhaps because of his nature as a Replica. Behind them was the tall skeleton of Jack Skellington.

"Oh great," Riku said. "I guess this makes me the 'someone to eat'."

Ven grinned, heightening the effect of his fangs.

"I already ate," he replied, pointing to Sora. He turned his head to one side, revealing two marks there – and then pulling a bit more to appear to pull his head almost completely off, laughing at Riku's surprise.

"He didn't really, don't worry," Sora assured them. "I had to do something to fit in though. What're you doing here?"

"Nice to see you too," Riku grumbled. "I'm not sticking around for long – still got plenty to do. I've been turned into a bit of a messenger boy for several people though. First, Sora, you still got that Keyblade I gave you after I busted you out?"

Sora nodded, calling it to hand.

"You want it back, I assume?"

"Nah, not yet. Just had to tell you, I'm told it's not called Soul Eater now it's a Keyblade – that there is the Way to the Dawn. Just remember to take good care of it, because I might need it at some point."

_-Not if you've got Aqua's Keyblade,-_ Demyx remarked.

"Also, Ven. Tomorrow I need you to be at the Destiny Islands and stay there all day. I don't know why, I wasn't told."

"Told? By who?" Ven asked curiously.

"The other side of me," he answered evasively, since Jack was present.

Jack looked thoughtful. "Other sides... that gives me an idea!"

"Why don't you go write it down then, Jack?" Axel suggested. "We'll be able to handle anything here until you get back. That way you can't forget it."

"Alright – see you in a moment!" and the tall skeleton strode off.

Once he was out of earshot Ventus said, "I assume you meant Sora. The real Sora, that is."

"I wish you wouldn't keep saying that," Sora complained. "I mean, I know what I am it's just..."

"We have to have some way to distinguish the two of you," Ven shrugged. "Anyway, am I right?"

Riku nodded, "Except he has a habit of not telling me everything. There's one other thing too, but I'm not sure if I can safely say too much about it."

_-We're safe. Just don't hand over here, it takes too long and Jack could come back at any moment.-_

"However, I've just had confirmation otherwise. I went to see Demyx – the shadow I saw in his room."

"What did you learn?" Zexion asked, almost shining with scientific curiosity.

"It was Nyx, like you thought. Maleficent, who is grudgingly helping me, gave me an idea that helped him though. He's just like Sora now – part of me. Though he's more separate than us. At the moment I'm sorta hiding behind him – Saïx thinks Demyx managed to avoid getting destroyed by shedding Nyx, so he sees Demyx and is unaware he's also looking at me."

"Hiding right under his nose," Axel chuckled. "He's going to go for a loop if he finds out about this."

"I don't plan to let him find out until the last minute. What have you lot been up to without the Heartless to play with?"

"Nobody bashing," Ventus replied. "They're not as fun as Heartless-" Donald snorted, but he ignored it. "-but they've started to flock up like migrating birds lately. Since we don't need to pay the Organization a call any more, we're doing something about them while we visit old friends. Got the finals of that coliseum tournament coming up in two days too. Phil reckons we'll wash out 'cause it's against Hercules, but there's a lot of us."

"Maybe if we get the chance we'll come watch and cheer you on," Riku said.

_-Riku. We still need to look a bit beaten up if we're to have a proper Riku sighting. Unless you can persuade your body to show faked harm.-_

_-I don't think so,-_ Riku silently replied, then passed that on to Ventus.

Sora grinned broadly at the suggestion. "Why don't you let me do it?" he said. "Let me get back at you for being the real Sora."

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea," Riku muttered.

* * *

><p>Since the Organization's numbers were down to three after various lost and terminated members, Saïx had been busy rearranging the Grey Area to use as a workspace, spreading out over several adjoined tables. Somehow the paper work was piling up more with fewer members.<p>

He glanced up as Demyx exited the corridor, Riku having turned back to him after seeing to the Riku Sighting in Wonderland as planned. They ached from a few of Sora's more ferocious attacks, but at the very least he'd refrained from any major lasting harm. It was enough to make it look like they'd been in a fight.

"Saw him," Demyx said shortly. "Wonderland. He attacked me. Saïx,he's got two Keyblades again somehow, don't ask me how. He devastated me. I had to run to prevent my faked death becoming real."

"Inconvenient," Saïx murmured. "Were you able to get anything out of him?"

"Just this," he answered, handing over a note they'd had a long argument over. Supposedly Riku had dropped it in the battle and Demyx had only just had enough time to retrieve it before he'd fled. The note implied that Riku might possibly be found somewhere in Radiant Garden. It also suggested that there was a mysterious and unnamed individual with whom Riku communed through these notes, so that if someone were to leave a note on the computer Tron resided within, Riku would sooner or later find it and leave a response.

"How interesting," Saïx noted, glancing over the note then filing into a folder that, even upside-down to them, they read the writing on it that read 'Riku'. Saïx had a file just for him.

_-I wonder if we could steal a look at that folder,-_ Riku mused. _-We could learn just how much they know about me.-_

_-No point,-_ Demyx replied, then aloud, "I'll keep looking for Riku for you Saïx, but I'm not going to confront him again. Not after this."

Saïx seemed to pay no attention to this. He handed Demyx a pad and pen. "This Keyblade. What did it look like?"

_-Do we dare?-_ Riku asked. Demyx didn't answer, but neither did he draw Aqua's Keyblade or even his own. Instead he drew one that looked ominous. An eye linked the teeth of the key to the blade, and another the guard and handle to the other end of the blade. Both guard and key resembled a gear, with another round gear set into the blade itself above a pair of crossed chains. The chain Demyx drew looked as if it was made from more gears, the token on the end two half-gears forming an 'S'.

_-Is that even a real Keyblade or did you just make it up?-_

_-It's real,-_ Demyx replied as he handed it back to Saïx._ -It's the one Vanitas wielded. Ventus still has it, though from what I gather he absolutely refuses to use it.-_

"So... they are in collusion," Saïx said. "Perhaps we can use Ventus to draw Riku out then. This is very useful, Demyx. Keep up the good work."


	74. From the Darkness

The following morning, under the guise of doing detailed research before heading into the field, Demyx had shown Riku to a little-used and relatively unknown part of the castle, a small side room from the library that concealed a computer. It contained the collected knowledge of all the books in the library, every report any member had ever written, and a number of volumes that were, for one reason or another, no longer in the library – or even been there in the first place.

"I had a bit of help from Vexen," Demyx murmured as he searched through its repository of information. "He and I were the only ones who used this. He always complained about not being able to find anything quickly when he was working on something, then I mentioned computers to him. We studied one over in Radiant Garden, the one he said used to belong to Ansem the Wise, then made this. No one else knows its here."

_-Except me and Sora now,-_ Riku said. _-What are we looking for?-_

"A few ideas, a bit of planning. We can safely assume that though Saïx will try otherwise, Ventus won't let himself be used against us, right?"

_-Right. Between them all, they can handle most anything short of a direct attack by Xemnas, and I don't think that'd trouble them too much either. Even then, Sora and his Replica are still tied together somehow so he can warn me if anything happens again.-_

"Really? Even better. We can continue our Riku Sightings, though differently. Ventus confirmed there are Nobodies everywhere, so maybe we should just skip involving me and let them find you. Occasionally we'll have one ourselves, just to persuade Saïx we're still working."

_-Seems to me I suggested that before and you told me it wouldn't work.-_

"We didn't know for sure how widespread the Nobodies were at that point," Demyx replied, skimming through search results and opening several of them before he started another search. He didn't check the newly opened ones just yet. "I want to see about giving them something else to think about though. Vanitas was technically never destroyed – he and Ventus were re-integrated during their fight. Aqua fought what appeared to be Ventus possessed by Vanitas, while information I learned from a conversation I overheard suggested that the two were fighting in a more metaphysical sense. Imagine if you and I got in a mental fight with each other."

_-And he was destroyed there, but because it wasn't physically real technically he just disappeared. Let me guess – since we can look like anyone, you want to have Vanitas mysteriously come back as well?-_

"In a way. Here it is, Vanitas' file. See that mask he's wearing? If we could replicate that as well as the suit he's wearing, it wouldn't matter who we looked like underneath."

_-Except anyone who knows about Vanitas would be able to tell the difference in his voice.-_

"Can't do much there, Ven and Aqua are the only ones left who remember what he sounded like."

_-You know, that suit of his reminds me of a suggestion Xehanort's Heartless once made to me when he'd taken up residence with me. When Sora was attacking Hollow Bastion he tried to convince me I should have a suit that showed off my darkness, and I saw the image of the idea he had. It looked a lot like that.-_

"I think I can help there. Where is it..." Demyx searched some more, then pulled up three more files. "On the left, Terra – the third pupil of the late Master Eraqus. The middle is Master Xehanort, Ventus's other teacher. And on the right Xehanort, apprentice to Ansem the wise and the original being of Xemnas and Ansem, Seeker of Darkness."

_-He's the spitting image of Terra,-_ Riku noted. _-Only with a few minor differences... differences echoed in Master Xehanort. You don't think somehow he possessed Terra and subjugated him, do you?-_

"I reckon he must have. On several occasions I've heard that Xemnas has been trying to continue some of Xehanort's plans, and Xehanort's plans echoed some ideas Master Xehanort had."

_-So they must remember because they're partly formed from Terra, and he could have met Vanitas.-_

"Did," Demyx said, returning to Vanitas' file and showing him an excerpt. "The only problem is we need Ventus to lend us Vanitas' Keyblade to pull off the trick, not to mention you'll need it for the sightings now Saïx thinks you've got it."

_-Maybe not. Merlin knows I might stop by and ask for magical favours periodically. If we could reach him, maybe we can ask him to use an illusion spell, and if not him then Zexion. I think Merlin might be better though, if we're seen asking Zexion for help and Saïx catches on...-_

"Right," he agreed. "Here's what I figure so far then. Sora must have had some kind of contact with Aqua last night, that's why we've got her Keyblade. He wants Ventus to go to the Destiny Islands tomorrow for reasons unknown. I don't have anything there just yet. Saïx thinks you have Vanitas' Keyblade and have picked up a habit of attacking any kind of Nobody when encountered, and also thinks people talk to him through notes left at Ansem's computer."

_-And Xemnas is still up at the last portal doing nothing useful,- _Riku added. _-I wish I had some idea of what he was doing.-_

_-Practising,- _Sora's voice murmured. They were treated to a momentary flash of Xemnas apparently training himself with Riku's original body and appearance. _-Seen last night.-_

"Got it." Demyx said suddenly. "Chip in you two if either of you have an idea or something. Say we 'happen' to find a note that suggests Riku is willing to meet Xemnas at a certain time at a certain place, provided he doesn't bring anyone with him. We'll blow smoke at him that we're willing to negotiate. That should get him out of the castle."

_-I'll talk to him,-_ Sora said. _-See if I can convince him it's real. No doubt he'll take it sceptically.-_

"Good. That's him out the way. Saïx might be a problem, but I think he's outlived his usefulness. If he shows up it might be worth the time to eliminate him."

_-That'll be my job then.-_ Riku decided. _-I'd prefer to have Ven and the gang around to help, but with you two I reckon I should be fine.-_

"I'll be able to provide you with some tactical advice, I've seen Saïx fight," Demyx promised. "Now that leaves the portal unguarded. If Riku talks to Merlin tomorrow about two illusions, we'll be well on the way. One of course is the Keyblade, make it look as if he has Vanitas' one. The other we'll want imbued into an item we can place up on the Altar which will make it _look_ as if the portal is still there, when in actual fact we'll have stolen it and put it somewhere more suitable for us. We'll have to get out into the city and find a suitable location."

_-Why not just take it to another world?- _Sora asked.

"Because Kingdom Hearts is here, and until it reaches completion, it won't listen to anyone," Demyx answered. "So hows this sound? If we scout out a place tomorrow, get Merlin to work on those illusions because the portal one will be complex and time-consuming to set up, once we've got that in place we can write the note and Sora can convince him of it."

_-Sounds good to me,-_ Riku said. _-Added chance of getting rid of Saïx too. What's not to like?-_

* * *

><p>Ventus waited, sat on the beach looking out toward the mainland. The childhood friends of Sora's and Riku's were here too, but they kept their distance. He'd left the others on the mainland visiting Kairi.<p>

He'd been here before, he knew. Master Xehanort had told him about the place – it had once been his home – so naturally he'd wanted to see it himself. He often met his other half here before the fight that destroyed one of them.

At the thought of Vanitas, he reached out a hand – though right handed, this time it was his left. A dark flash concealed it and the air before it, solidifying into Void Gear, the dark Keyblade of the dark side.

With an air of curiosity he jumped down from the tree he'd been perched in, crossing the rock to look down into the gentle water below. His reflection looked back, mirroring his curiosity. Void Gear vanished, replaced with Wayward Wind in his right hand, the light Keyblade of his light half. He could not wield both at the same time, not like Riku, though he wished he could.

As he called it, he noticed there was still the faint suggestion of the now commonplace wincing he'd always had when taking up this Keyblade. Ten years had given him plenty of time to work on concealing the effect. Only he knew why it happened. A secret not even Zexion knew.

"I won't let you do this." It was his voice, but it came from the reflection in the water.

"Who are you to stop me?" he told it. "You're just an echo. A memory."

"As long as you remember me, I'll never be completely gone. I still have some strength. Not much, but enough."

"It doesn't matter. It'll happen soon. I've waited a long time."

"Someone will notice," his reflection told him. "Riku maybe, now Demyx is with him."

"Get real, Ventus. No one would believe what happened. After all," he smirked, his eyes momentarily turning amber. "I'm the good one."

A flash of light appeared in the water before them. He leaned back, making his reflection disappear from view, then aimed his Keyblade for the glimmering Keyhole on the water's surface and let the Keyblade do what it did best.

* * *

><p>Aqua waited. Patience had come to her easily. Wandering the dark realm for the better part of a decade required it. There were no Unversed here. There never had been. Only the Heartless.<p>

She'd watched over the years as the few simple Heartless that originated here became supplemented with other kinds, new forms and new capabilities. Occasionally a few newer ones would band together and attack her, as if they wanted to test themselves. Some of those who lost quickly were never seen again, the rejects of the Heartless. Others had been altered and tested again. One particularly magic-receptive one had ended up with a wide array of mutations, each one mirroring an aspect of magic she'd used on it.

She hoped Sora was right. If he persuaded Riku to do what they needed, she'd be able to leave at long last. Help him out in return, and then she told herself, she'd take a long vacation.

Coming back had its risks too, she knew. The great blade she and Ventus had locked away... there were still those who wanted it. It tempted even her. What Sora had suggested though... there was a possibility his ideas could just work.

His plans for helping Riku came first though. Without them, it was too risky. Even with them there were risks – she still had to free Terra from Xehanort's grasp, and that wouldn't be an easy trick. She'd devoted considerable time to thinking up a way to do it, but until Sora had come on the scene she'd lacked the means. It needed more than once person to do it. Perhaps... he and Riku could be that one.

Something glinted on the water's surface ahead, attracting her attention. The moonlight scattered, chased away by a strangely darkened Keyhole. Sora had said _a_ Keyhole would appear if he was right, but he said nothing about it being dark.

Master Aqua stood up, brushing herself off and glancing in the water. It might only be Ventus, but it had been ten years since she'd seen him. She didn't want to appear as dirty as she felt. A shower was _definitely_ in order.

She called Master Eraqus' Keyblade to hand and unlocked the glimmering Keyhole, causing the moonlight to return and form up into a glowing doorway. On the other side in bright sunlight she recognised the Realm of Light and Destiny Islands. Ventus was perched on a rock, his own Keyblade in one hand, waving to her with the other.

At long last, the moment she'd waited for. She swam the intervening distance, crossing the boundary just as the Door to Light closed again. Trusting Sora had turned out to be the right thing to do.


	75. A Dark Princess

Kingdom Hearts would have been completed by now, had he not chosen to intervene. Instead he'd locked away the vital resource it needed and it hung in the sky, unfed, unwavering, patiently waiting even a single heart.

"You know we had to do it though," Demyx murmured.

_-That doesn't mean I like it. I was sort of hoping I could deal with it and then go back home and see Kairi again. Take a break from all this. I haven't really stopped for long since the Keyblade came to me.-_

"Just be patient, Riku. It'll be over soon, and everything will be back to normal. Sort of."

_-Sort of?-_

"You've been travelling and working for a long time. It'll be hard for you to go back to a quiet life, I reckon. You'll end up restless and want to get out again."

_-Ansem said the same thing,-_ Riku mused. _-Maybe he was right. But as long as I can still command a corridor, I don't have to worry about that.-_

"Maybe not. It depends on how Kingdom Hearts answers you."

Demyx continued through Radiant Garden, occasionally nodding to a local who recognised him, or more accurately Riku. It was too risky for him to appear to be himself, so they had appeared to be Riku from arrival onwards. Most who'd seen him had no idea it had only been Riku in control when they'd talked to Merlin.

The old wizard had been tough to bring around, raising a number of objections to their ideas but reluctantly agreeing to help. The Keyblade proved stubbornly resistant to illusions until Riku had snapped irritably at his one, telling it to cooperate. Strangely enough, that had worked – now whenever he called it, it would appear to be Void Gear.

He still had to be careful when he called or dismissed it however, as Demyx has pointed out. His keen eye had noticed that there was a moment as it appeared and another on disappearance where the illusion did not work, momentarily revealing the Keyblade of People's Hearts beneath.

Merlin had simplified the second illusion however, once Sora had been persuaded to cooperate. He'd imbued a small stone with two adaptive spells, one made to make it blend in when they tapped it in a certain sequence so no one would notice it, and the other to capture an area as it appeared at that time – living things, Nobodies and Replicas excepted.

The idea was that Sora, while telling Xemnas that Riku's wish to see him was genuine, would conceal and activate both spells so it would store an image of the area into the illusion it would later project, then when they stole the portal it would notice the difference and project the image. As long as no one suspected anything, no one would have any idea that it was just an illusion.

That was the theory, at least.

"I think we're safe here," Demyx said after looking about and seeing no one. "Want to change us back?"

_-I think maybe it's time we gave them another Riku sighting myself,-_ Riku replied. _-We don't want them to think I've lost interest.-_

"Here?"

_-No, but at least here we can change over safely. I was thinking of dropping in on Agrabah again, seeing what's going on. I never really got the chance to explain what took me so long last time I was there, and I'd like to see Jasmine too. Maybe she'll have forgiven what I did before.-_

"You mean kidnapping her all that time ago. I'm sure she's over it by now, Riku."

_-Yeah, I'd feel happier if I got the chance to talk to her all the same though.-_

"Suit yourself. We're still safe here, so take it away."

Riku didn't answer, taking over from him again then opening a corridor for Agrabah. He hoped that either Aladdin wasn't home, or wouldn't be surprised by the sudden appearance of a dark corridor in his home, since it was about the only place he recalled where it was safe enough to do so.

Fortunately he was not present when they arrived, the empty room bringing the scents of the desert city to him through the open windows.

"I forgot how hot it was here," Riku muttered. "At least I don't have the coat this time. If memory serves, they're likely at the palace."

_-Know how to get there?-_

"Of course I do. You can hardly miss it."

There were a few odd looks from locals who had not seen him enter Aladdin's house, but no one actually questioned him. Since the palace loomed large over the rest of the town he used it as a landmark, taking whatever streets led him in the right direction. An occasional market stall distracted him momentarily, displaying wares from Agrabah and distant other settlements somewhere beyond the desert, but nothing actually interested him.

_-You know, if Kairi knew you did this, she'd drag you shopping,-_ Demyx observed.

"She often did," he replied. "As Sora I was forever complaining about it, but at least humoured her. Riku usually tried to get out of it, but if he ended up going anyway he never said a word against it. Kairi almost always did have her way when it came to us. Even when we decided to go sailing away on a raft, she persuaded us to do it her way. If she mentioned she wanted something, it'd turn into a competition to see who could do it quicker or better. Sometimes both."

_-You know, maybe you two should stay together like this. That way you wouldn't have to compete for her.-_

"Where's the fun in that?" Riku replied. He cocked his head to listen to some distant outcries. "Sounds like trouble. Can't hurt to have a look."

It wasn't hard to find the source of the cries. Everyone who wasn't involved was running away from them. He had to bull through to get past the initial rush and into the relative calm behind them. The commotion had come from a junction along one of the main routes to the palace.

There were Nobodies there of various kinds, some Dusks chasing after stragglers but oddly, not attacking them. Most of them stood in the remains of broken stalls or gathered around someone who appeared to be fighting them, concealed by the mass of Nobodies around.

Without hesitation Riku brought both Keyblades to hand, causing the nearest Nobodies to reorient on him. With two Keyblades once again most lesser Nobodies fell easily, only the giant Berserker and and magic wielding Sorcerers surviving the first rain of blows.

He ignore them for now, breaking into the main throng until he reached the other fighter, not paying them much attention while Nobodies still streamed around them. With both of them fighting together, the crackle of destroyed Nobodies soon filled the air.

The other one appeared to have some magic too, a harsh voice grating out muttered spells that brought down magic on the more distant ones. Riku risked a glance over his shoulder at the stranger.

_-Not possible,-_ Demyx breathed, or at least sounded as if he breathed. _-He was destroyed.-_

_-Disappeared,-_ Riku corrected, not wanting to say anything aloud. _-You said disappeared when we were looking at the files.-_

_-Minor detail,-_ he said absently. _-Something very strange is going on here. Something suspicious.-_

Riku grunted agreement as he dispatched another Berserker, avoiding the clumsy strike it had made. After a few more blows the stream of Nobodies petered off and eventually cleared up entirely. He turned quickly to face the stranger, held ready for a fight.

He saw immediately why Demyx had been so startled. Whoever it was had taken the idea they'd had, looking identical to the image of Vanitas they'd seen, complete with the concealing mask.

"Don't bother," a distorted voice said. "You're no match for me."

"Who are you?" Riku demanded. "And don't say Vanitas, that's not possible."

"Isn't it? Sorry, I must be having a bit of an identity crisis then."

"You can't be Vanitas. Ventus beat you."

"Sounds like you're missing a few pieces of the puzzle," he chuckled, creating a corridor behind him. "Go see the princess Riku, and make sure Demyx gets a look in too. He knows more about what you'll find than you do."

Riku stared after the corridor for a few moments. "He knows. Whoever he is, he knows."

_-We'd better check Jasmine soon as, then check in with Ventus,-_ Demyx decided, somehow sounding calm. _-He ought to know about this. That was even Void Gear he was wielding, and that means someone's stolen it from him.-_

"I don't like it Demyx. I can't shake the feeling there's something fishy here."

_-We can find out what later. Move, Riku. Something's evidently happened to Jasmine.-_

Riku didn't bother to reply, or even trying to conceal himself this time, taking a corridor directly to the palace grounds, never mind the consequences. It turned out to be a good move, as Aladdin, though surprised, was there to meet him. Jasmine was laying unconscious nearby.

"What happened?" he asked without preamble.

"Some kind of white thing showed up and attacked," Aladdin answered. "How-"

"Never mind how I got here or anything like that. I need to know more than that."

"I wish I had more. I tried to stop it, but everything I did just bounced off. Then she collapsed and it left. I heard sounds in the town, then you showed up."

Riku handed back to Demyx, not bothering to change their appearance. It'd only bother Aladdin anyway. Demyx took over, rapidly examining Jasmine, talking to himself as he did so.

"No obvious signs of harm. Pulse is normal, no abnormal temperature, eyes are-" he broke off. The normally brown irises of here eyes were a distinctive amber.

_-_That_ is impossible,-_ Riku remarked. _-The Princesses of Heart _can't_ have any darkness. They're the only ones who are naturally light alone.-_

For Aladdin's benefit, Demyx said, "It looks like someone's managed to inject darkness into her, but that shouldn't be possible. Keep her safe, Aladdin. We – I'll go find someone who can tell me more about this. It's beyond my expertise. Whatever you do, don't let her go anywhere if she wakes up and don't let anyone else near her."

"Riku... you can... do something, right?"

"If I can't, I'll find someone who can," Demyx replied. "Don't go anywhere. I'll be back as soon as I know more." Then silently to Riku, _-Any ideas on who?-_

_-Go to Mickey. Disney Castle. You'll need a lot of darkness to break through the light protection they've got there, but I've done that once before. He'll come running as soon as he detects it. Tell him we need to talk to Yen Sid. I'd say to go to him directly, but his tower is even more protected against the darkness than Mickey's castle is.-_

_-Want to handle it yourself? He knows you better, and he doesn't know about me.-_

Riku muttered a few complaints to himself, but resumed control once again to direct the corridor.


	76. Truth and Lies

Mickey had not been at his castle, Queen Minnie only knowing that he'd gone somewhere again and had no idea where. Now Riku was following up another possible trail, since finding the King was likely to be an exercise in futility.

Once again he was back in Radiant Garden. Everything, sooner or later, seemed to come back to here. He'd first returned to the former site of the Final Keyhole in case anyone was being stupid enough to try that again. There was no danger of that, the halls having crumbled and broken away, and so he'd headed further up the tower to a room that had a wide balcony and a low table, but little else.

"Maleficent!" he barked. "Come out! I need to talk to you!"

"I thought I told you I don't take orders from you?" she asked mildly, appearing over the table from him in the usual green fire.

"Never mind that right now. I'll take it on good faith, against my better judgement, that you're not responsible for what just happened to Jasmine."

"The daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah, and one of the princesses? I've had nothing to do with that since my return."

"Good. Then you'll be surprised to find that she's just become an impossibility. Someone has managed to inject enough darkness into her that her eyes have changed. Like Kairi did when her heart took refuge elsewhere, she's unconscious, but since her heart is still with her just darkened, I don't know for how long."

Maleficent's expression did indeed flicker surprise for a moment, but it was fleeting. Instead she simply asked, "And how does this concern me?"

"I need your expertise. You know more about the darkness than I do. If you can't tell me how it's happened, I need to know a way to undo it before another princess goes the same way, and who knows what will happen if all seven become darkened."

"And what do I get out of it?" Riku gave her a flat look. "No, let me guess. You'll postpone banishing me to the darkness once again."

"You learn quick," he noted. "If I can track down the King and persuade him to help, you may have his probably grudging assistance, but until then we'll do without. I'll go ahead to Agrabah and let Aladdin know you're coming in case he knows you and is among the ranks of those who'd queue up to get you."

"Your concern is touching, if only born of necessity. Tell me something before you leave, Riku. Kairi – is she still on the islands?"

"I believe so, unless she left with Ventus, why?"

"Curiosity. I would not be surprised if it turned out she were the next... victim."

"Do you know something I don't?" he demanded bluntly.

"It would be fair to say I have... a suspicion. I cannot confirm it until we see Jasmine. Run along now, Riku. I will join you shortly."

_-She knows something,-_ Demyx said as Riku turned into another corridor. _-She's good at hiding it, but she definitely knows something.-_

"She's not going to tell us though, if nothing else because she wants to prove she's only cooperating because she has to. Don't get surprised, Aladdin," he said, exiting back into the blasting heat of Agrabah. "I've enlisted someone who I hope can tell us more. You might recognise her, but don't hold anything against her."

"Her? I don't think-" he broke off as Maleficent appeared. "You! You're the one-"

"Let it lie," Riku warned. "At least until we get Jasmine back to normal."

Maleficent meanwhile gestured with her staff, causing Jasmine to rise up, apparently resting on an unseen platform. She performed a cursory check similar to the one Demyx had, though occasionally employed her magic to tell more. Aladdin watched her distrustfully, one hand resting on the hilt of is sabre.

"I would imagine there was an attack here recently," she said eventually. "Involving some rogue Nobodies."

"Rogue?" Riku asked.

"Nobodies?" Aladdin said simultaneously.

"The white things," Riku explained. "How do you know they're rogue?"

"The Organization does not permit the lesser Nobodies under its command to wield the darkness... and yet, there is the touch here of one of the white husks. It has been commandeered by another – when, I cannot tell. It may have been a temporary arrangement, or it could have been under another's command for some time."

"I'd say it was Vanitas, but he was attacking them too."

"Vanitas, you say? What makes you suggest him?"

"After we ran off the Nobodies together he gave the impression he knew what had happened to her," Riku replied. "I don't think he was involved though."

"You were fooled, Riku," Maleficent told them. "Vanitas may well have been in command of those Nobodies also, but as an attempt to make you cease to suspect him. The boy had an idea regarding the princesses before he met Ventus in battle."

"And you know this because..."

"He came to me and tried to persuade me to cooperate with him. I recognise the results of his idea. The heart within this one is not her own, her heart of Light stolen and replaced with one of darkness. She may awaken, but if she does she will not be herself. You may wish to incarcerate her somewhere secure – for her own safety."

"What is Vanitas doing this for? Did he ever tell you?"

"But of course. The core of the power the Princesses bear comes from their hearts. By combining them, one can amplify any kind of power, even that of the darkness itself. The Keyblade you bear was brought into existence by amplifying the power of the Keyblade with their hearts, and is sustained only because you combined it with another Keyblade."

"Then that just leaves the question of how he managed to return. I'm pretty sure that no matter what happened, Ventus beat him in such a way he couldn't come back."

Maleficent's expression didn't change as she said, "Did Ventus tell you that? Or did you hear it from someone else who was actually present? Someone who knew what was going on?"

"What are you suggesting?"

"Take the girl away," she told Aladdin. "But first tell me... is there a large pool near here?"

"There's the sultan's baths," he said doubtfully. "No one's using them right now. I can give you directions."

"Do so. It would be in your best interests not to accompany us. What I will do will not affect any here, as Riku would undoubtedly not permit that, but it does concern things that should not be revealed to you."

"You might as well trust her on this," Riku advised. "If I think she's wrong, I'll pass it on to you myself."

With clear reluctance, he nodded. He took Jasmine out of the air with a last hostile glance to Maleficent, then led them into the sultan's palace and used Jasmine's feet to point down one corridor.

"Second on the right. The red double doors. If anyone asks why you're there, tell them I got you in. The guards don't like me, but Jasmine told them to accept me after they tried to stop me seeing her. Her father doesn't think much of me, you see."

Not entirely trusting Maleficent, Riku led the way to the doors and into the considerable baths. The water rippled slightly, but was otherwise calm in the tiled pit.

"What's this about?" he said shortly. "If you needed somewhere private-"

"No. Observe."

She waved her staff again, tapping the water's surface with it. Part of it solidified, turned dark, then showed a barren wasteland. Lifeless Keyblades were stuck into the ground in great fields. Among them, three battles were taking place.

One showed the King, fighting off some strange creatures, dancing between their attacks with ease as his Keyblade, not the Kingdom Key's dark alternate but in another form, sliced through them.

Atop a rock tower a dusty red and gold armoured figure was involved in a ferocious battle with someone who looked very much like the picture of Xehanort Demyx had shown him, not Master Xehanort but the one that was the Master possibly having overtaken Terra.

Below them was a third battle, showing Aqua fighting Ventus – but he was wearing the same dark suit Vanitas had, without the helmet showing. In his hand he held an impressive blade that seemed to be formed from two crossed Kingdom Keys.

_-The X-blade,-_ Demyx identified it. _-This is the battle that followed immediately after it had been forged. Ventus and Vanitas are fighting their unreal battle inside him, while that Ventus-Vanitas holds the incomplete blade.-_

"This is not happening now," Maleficent said, unknowingly adding confirmation. "This took place some eleven years ago. Note how the one who appears to be Ventus is fighting Aqua?"

"You don't need to explain that bit, Demyx just did that for you. That's Vanitas in control, isn't it?"

"I see you took my advice regarding him. Very well – perhaps we can skip ahead a ways."

The image blurred, focusing on the battle between Vanitas and Aqua. She was kneeling on the ground, breathing hard – with sound too now, he noted. Vanitas strode toward her almost casually.

"It's a shame you know," he told her, speaking in a voice that seemed to be Ventus's overlaid with the distorted voice they'd heard when Vanitas had shown up. "I could have given you everything."

"I don't want everything. I want Ventus back."

"You're almost too late for that. It won't be long now. Soon I'll have finished him off for good."

"Then what? You said yourself Xehanort is just using you!"

"Do you think I will simply let him? _I_ hold the X-blade. _I_ command Kingdom Hearts."

Aqua laughed. It was a rough, forced laugh. "Look up, Vanitas. Look up and see what you've done."

In spite of himself, he turned, keeping the blade pointed at her as he turned to the rock high above. The armour was unleashing a massive magical attack that sent pillars of light soaring high above to a heart shaped moon that was undoubtedly the true Kingdom Hearts.

Nothing happened. It still hung there, shining down through the foreboding clouds around it.

"I don't-" he started but broke off as a new, smaller beam shot up from Aqua's Keyblade.

"Go," she breathed. "Hide. You don't belong here."

The beam rose higher, receding behind it as Aqua fell back to using her Keyblade as a support instead but still heading for Kingdom Hearts. When it reached, the blue aura surrounding it pulsed and the clouds around began to close in.

"No!" Vanitas exclaimed. "You stupid fool, do you have any idea what you've done?"

"Kept you from Kingdom Hearts," Aqua said viciously. "You might be able to command it, but you don't know how to summon it to you. You'll have to go and find it if you want it now."

"Curse you!" he burst out, swinging the blade. Aqua was flung away from the impact, resting at the feet of a recently arrived Mickey, who cast a healing spell. "The boat-boy king too," he grated. "And I was so close too. You haven't heard the last of this, either of you."

"Watch closely now," Maleficent told Riku. "This is the key part."

Vanitas' eyes lost focus and his body seemed to sag slightly, as if it were a puppet with the strings cut. One hand still tightly gripped the X-blade however. A light started to illuminate him as if from within, working its way from his feet up, seeming to erase Vanitas' suit and replace it with the clothes Riku had seen Ventus wearing. It progressed higher up, pausing at his shoulders to purge one arm, then continued over his neck to reach down the other arm, the one still holding the blade.

As the light reached his hand instead of going out it reached up the blade. Where before the parts that were not part of either Kingdom Key were a darkened, almost rusted brown with several parts apparently missing, the light restored them to a brightly polished pearly green, completing the missing parts. Where parts of the rusted blade extending from the point of the cross had been missing, they too were restored as it was given a mirror finish.

Through it all, the eyes remained amber, the only sign of Vanitas. Everything else appeared to have been removed from him by now. As the light at last faded, he dropped the blade and folded double, coming to rest on hands and knees.

"I did it," he breathed. It was Ventus's voice. "I beat him."

"Ven?" Aqua asked tentatively.

"I got him, Aqua," he said weakly. "I had to complete the blade to do it, but I got him. He won't trouble us any more." He looked up, the eyes even now still amber. "He's gone now."

"Ventus, your eyes-"

"I couldn't help it. He's me. I had to take everything from him. It'll fade once I recover. Don't worry."

"You guys gotta get that blade outta sight," Mickey said. "It's too dangerous to leave lying around, and certainly too much for you to handle."

"Right," Ventus nodded. "I don't know anywhere we can put it though."

"I do," Aqua said. "The Master told me a way when I became a Master. We'll take it back home, and I'll arrange things to protect it. Only you and I will know how to find it."

Ventus nodded again. "Right. Just... give me a few moments to get my strength back. Go check on Terra? Don't you worry about me either, your Majesty," he added to Mickey. "I'm fine. We couldn't have done this without you."

Mickey was unconvinced. "Sure you'll be alright? That must have been one hell of a battle you just went through."

"Really, I'll be alright. Besides, if anything happens I've still got this," he pointed to the completed X-blade beside him. "I'll only use it if I have to though."

That appeared to mollify Mickey, who gave him a healing spell too, then darted off out of sight. Aqua put a hand on Ventus's shoulder then touched a piece of armour on her shoulder. She became completely armoured, her Keyblade having turned into some kind of craft.

"When you're ready, go on ahead," she told him. "I'll meet you there as soon as I can."

"I'll wait for you," Ventus promised.

Aqua soared up and also out of sight.

Somehow, Ventus managed to miraculously recover his strength then, straightening up and taking the blade.

"Oh, yes, I'll be waiting for you," he said coldly. "You just wait, Aqua. I'll get you back for this. So _damn_ close, and you had to ruin it! But now... you've given me a new lease of life. A feeble excuse and a little change..." he looked himself over and snorted. "I don't like it, but I suppose I'm stuck with it as long as I have to act like him."

The image faded out at last, the water beneath returning to its liquid state.

"Oh, gods," Riku breathed. "All this time, and no one had any idea. And the reason he won't use Void Gear..."

"Is because it would perhaps give away that ever since then, the one who called himself Ventus has in fact been Vanitas," Maleficent finished. "Master Aqua turned the Land of Departure into Castle Oblivion and arranged it so that both of them had to be present to reach the weapon resting there."

"But since she thinks Vanitas is gone, she doesn't suspect. He's even managed to make his eyes turn to Ven's blue and conceal the darkness." Then he remembered what Maleficent had said earlier. "Oh no. He's on the islands with Kairi. I have to go," he told Maleficent hurriedly. "Thank you for showing me this, Maleficent."

"You know where to find me if you need me again."

"I know," he said absently then turned to the empty air and did something he hadn't for a while. "To Kairi!" he snapped, causing a portal to flash open instantly.


	77. Unveiled

The portal had for whatever reason not shared the accuracy of the previous ones, getting Riku to the familiar sandy beach just outside their home but not to Kairi or Ventus. Or whoever he wanted to call himself. He swore once, casting about for them.

_-There!-_ Demyx said sharply. _-Down the beach, just behind that beach hut!-_

Riku didn't bother with thanks, breaking into a run. Even though Kairi was there in sight and apparently perfectly fine, he still had plenty of what-ifs running through his mind. Likely the only reason he hadn't done anything to her yet was because there were others around.

"I'm working without a plan here," he muttered. "I'm either going to run right into him or confront him, and right now I'd feel much happier beating him up."

_-With everyone there?-_ Demyx objected. _-You'll make them think you've lost your marbles, Riku. Confront him instead – force him out into revealing himself. You know the story he gave you and at least some of the truth. You can beat him up after you've revealed him.-_

"In front of Aqua too," he added, noticing her among the others. "No doubt she'll be suitably annoyed by this."

_-Just try to get your rage under control. You can see Kairi is alright, and there's only one princess darkened that we know of.-_

"No guarantees," Riku muttered, then as Axel became the first to notice him Riku picked a low, vicious tone and grated, "Get away from my friends, Ventus."

Demyx sighed. _-Some control _that_ shows.-_

"Riku, what-" he started.

"I said get back," Riku cut him off, still bearing down on him though slower now.

"What're you doing?" Axel demanded.

"If you give us a chance instead of interrupting, maybe you'll find out," Riku replied. "I just had a fascinating discussion with Maleficent, Ven. All manner of interesting things came to light."

He didn't seem to make the connection just yet, either merely looking or acting puzzled. "What did she have to say?" he asked cautiously, starting to back away.

"We talked about the forging of the great blade you and Aqua hid away. She even used magic to show me some of it. Tell me Ventus. Who won?"

"I did, obviously," he answered, still looking puzzled. "What, did she show you something else?"

"I wouldn't say something else. You told Aqua your eyes at the time remained influenced by the darkness because you had to take Vanitas' darkness. Isn't that right, Aqua?"

Aqua was surprised, but answered, "Well, yes. He said they'd go back to normal once he got it under control."

"And I did," Ventus added quickly. "Look, not even a yellow trace to them."

"You've had ten years to work on that though," Riku pointed out. "Ten years to perfect your story and hide the obvious traces."

"Riku, what are you suggesting?" Zexion asked.

Ventus had realized what had happened now for sure. One hand was twitching as if he wanted to call a Keyblade to hand, and he'd unconsciously started to step into his habitual battle stance.

"Maleficent showed me what happened immediately after Aqua's battle with Vanitas. Mickey told them they had to get the X-Blade somewhere safe. Aqua suggested a place and told Ventus to go on ahead and wait for her."

"The Land of Departure," Aqua murmured. "Now Castle Oblivion."

"And then as Aqua left, you suddenly regained all your strength, Ventus," Riku went on. "I understand your next words were 'you've given me a new lease of life. A feeble excuse and a little change'. You looked weakened from your fight, but you also kept a tight hold on that blade. It was an act, wasn't it... Vanitas?"

"It's a trick," he said after a moment. "She's manipulating the truth of the matter to try to set us against each other. C'mon Riku, you've known me for longer than her for sure, are you really going to accept her word over mine?"

Riku kept his eyes on him, but threw over his shoulder, "Aqua, you do magic, right?"

"Of course. I was always the magic specialist of the Master's students. Why do you ask?"

"Do you think you could replicate Maleficent's spell if I told you what I know of it? To show everyone here what happened that day?"

"It's a key event," she said after a few moments. "It shouldn't be hard to use it as a focus. I just need something to project it on to."

"Maleficent used a pool of water, and we've got the sea right here."

"I can do better than that," Zexion said. "Just give me a moment."

From his ever present lexicon he pulled out a spell that created a shimmering sheet in the air nearby.

"You don't need to do this," Ventus said, almost pleading. "Have I ever given you a reason not to believe me?"

"One of the other princesses has had her heart changed for one of darkness," Riku said. "Maleficent explained to me it was identical to a proposal Vanitas once presented her with."

"Now I've got you!" Ventus exclaimed triumphantly. "I haven't gone anywhere near Agrabah. I couldn't have done it!"

"At what point did I mention it was Jasmine?" Riku asked coolly, while Aqua consulted with Zexion about the spell. Ventus's expression turned chagrined.

The spell was cast into the sheet, complete with sound. It replayed the same scene he'd watched before with Maleficent, through the apparent recovery, Aqua's departure, and the following remark.

"Still want to deny it?" Riku asked. "The only reason Aqua would want to change it is because she'd obviously still want to believe you were Ventus."

"But I didn't change a thing," Aqua said. "I had to know for myself too. You tricked me – you tricked all of us."

"Twice," Ventus snarled. "Once by you girl, now by you Riku... make no mistake, I will have vengeance on both of you for this. Just see if you can protect the princesses from me now, Riku. You don't know which ones I've got and which ones I haven't, what order I'll see them – I hold the upper hand now."

"That's not entirely true," Kairi said at last. "The seven of us have a kind of sense about each other. I sensed something happened to Jasmine very recently, but not from the others. If anything, I'll know who you get, and if I'm with Riku you can't touch me without going through him."

"And you've been with us the whole time, except here on the islands," Zexion added. "Today has been the only time you've had the opportunity."

"It changes nothing!" he snapped. "I can still visit them in any order I want. Starting with you, Kairi!"

He lunged for her, and Riku for him, but Aqua was quicker. She held out a Keyblade toward Kairi and snapped, "Shield!"

Ventus impacted the blue shield as it shot up, bouncing back and into Riku as he swung a fist for him. He was knocked to the ground, then quickly leapt up and aside as Donald sent a thunderbolt for him.

"Just try and stop me, Riku," he growled, Ventus's clothing already exchanging themselves for the dark suit Vanitas had worn before even as a dark corridor opened behind him. "Not even Kingdom Hearts will help you now."

Riku waited until his corridor had closed, the scent of Vanitas' darkness gone before he replied, "That's where he's wrong. I just have to ask it the right way."

"You'll never complete it in time," Axel said. "Even if you could convince Xemnas to work with you."

"I don't need him. Demyx, Sora and I have been working on a plan Ventus doesn't know about – I know that because we only told Merlin this morning when we got his help. I'm going to steal the last portal from right out under his nose, then drag out as many Heartless as I need. Without him, we're a Keyblade down, but we'll have to make do. Thanks to Merlin, Xemnas won't realise what we've done, hopefully at least until it's too late, so we can give him Heartless to play with. Aqua, I'd like you to stay with my friends here in Ventus's place. Sora, you still know how to fly the Gummi Ship, right?"

"Never forgot," he answered. "Might be a bit rusty, but I'll pick it up soon enough."

"Good enough. Go around the worlds with the princesses. As soon as the portal is ours, I'll send the Heartless to them. I don't like that, but hopefully with you guys on the job you'll be able to hold off Vanitas, save the princesses, keep the Heartless at manageable levels and provide me with enough hearts. With Xemnas unwittingly helping and me on the job as well, not to mention any Ven destroys wherever he is, I'll have Kingdom Hearts done in no time. Axel found me a book on it a while back so I have some idea of how to enlist it's aid, I just have to ask it for its help in the right way. Kairi, I want you to stay with me. I'm going to me moving about a lot, and with Ventus after you, you're safest with me."

"Kairi," Aqua said suddenly. "Do you still have the Keyblade I gave you all that time ago, when we met in Radiant Garden."

Kairi smiled, holding out her hand. "Destiny's Embrace, you told me it was," she said as it appeared nearby. "You didn't know I had one too, did you Riku?"

"Better and better," Riku grinned. "I still want you to come with me though. Ideally I'd like a way to keep in touch, so we can let you know if we pick up on anything happening to the princesses, but I don't think there's anything that'd work."

"Leave it with us," Zexion told him. "Aqua, Donald and I can put our heads together and come up with something. If we drop in on Radiant Garden we'll ask Merlin for a hand as well."

"You know, Ventus, or Vanitas, or whatever he's called... something tells me he's gonna have a bad day," Axel mused. "Don't get me wrong, it still kinda bugs me that one of my best friends turned out to be someone else, but I figure he's got it coming for that."

"You think you feel bad for being fooled?" Zexion asked. "I though he was the same Ventus who saved me from the Unversed. He didn't deserve the treatment I gave him."

"Alright, anything else?" Riku asked.

"Just one thing," Goofy said thoughtfully. "If you're still hidin' up with the Organization, how are you going to explain Kairi to 'em?"

_-Didn't think of that, did you?- _Demyx remarked. _-Let her go with them. We can work quicker without her.-_

_-Are you sure?-_

_-I know you both care about her, I can feel that since I'm borrowing your hearts, but I reckon it'd be better for her. With Sora's Replica, Aqua and her, that's three Keyblades together, three who use magic, and Goofy's probably the best of them at protecting things. I'll direct them to one of my stashes, they can use the funds I've got stored up and he can get whatever he needs.-_

"Demyx has it covered. I'll let him explain. Try not to be too startled by this," he added, not just handing over but shifting to Demyx's appearance.

"Fascinating," Zexion murmured.

Demyx quickly relayed his option to them, giving out the locations of two of his stashes.

"When did you ever have a stash?" Axel asked curiously after he was done.

"Well, is it my fault you people never asked me what I did before the Organization?" Demyx replied. "Anything else, because if not, we'd better get going before they find out I'm here. I'm supposed to be trying to find Riku, you know."

"Wait... isn't he..."

"Yeah, but they don't know that. It's how Riku's been able to hide from them, except when we want them to find him."

"Neat," Aqua said approvingly. "And you're Sora as well?" Demyx nodded. "What better way to hide than literally within someone else? Leave things with us, all three of you," she told them. "We've got things in hand. We know when the Heartless show up it's time."


	78. Eavesdropping

Demyx now hopped from rooftop to rooftop in Dark City, experimenting with the same portals Riku had used and seeing the extent of the possibilities it held while at the same time looking for a suitable place to relocate the portal to.

"You know Riku, for someone without a plan you adapted to the situation very nicely," he remarked between commanding portals to open. "Aside from that little bit with Kairi, you covered everything neatly. Just got one recommendation for you."

_-Oh? Something I didn't think of?-_

"Just a small thing. The Heartless answer to you, right? So... why not drag them out and order them to protect the princesses? Not right away, don't mistake me there – we don't dare do that until after the portal is safely under our control – but once we've got it, it'll force Ventus to go through Heartless to reach them, which helps us."

_-Neat. I probably should have thought of that too. Go careful on the next roof,-_ he added. _-That's one of the unstable ones damaged when I kinda caused the first one to detonate, back when I was set on taking them all out of action.-_

"You really tore up this part of the city, looking at it. I don't think there's a whole building anywhere here."

_-Could we use some of the debris to form a stable platform? Last time I was here I used the darkness to bend everything into the shape I needed, that sped things up then and probably will now too. Xemnas probably wouldn't think to look for his portal on the site of one of the old ones, at least not right away.-_

"Not a bad plan," Demyx agreed approvingly. "See what I mean about the details? They make all the difference."

_-Someone's coming!-_ Riku warned sharply. _-I don't recognise the dark scent to them, but there's definitely someone nearby!-_

"Quick, new change to try for our body," Demyx said, dropping his voice to barely audible. "See if we can appear to be a Dusk. No one notices a Dusk."

Riku briefly took charge once again to nudge the Replica body into complying. He wasn't sure if Demyx's idea would work, but it had answered every request made of it yet so put his faith in it and applied the change the same as any other. The body answered perfectly, leaving them looking identical to any other Dusk.

_-Not bad,-_ Demyx remarked silently, as the Dusk had no actual mouth. _-I was hoping it would work. This opens a whole new realm of disguises for us.-_

_-I wasn't sure if it would work,- _Riku conceded. _-Stranger showing up at two o' clock.-_

Demyx took back control at that point, emulating the strange walk of a wandering Dusk across the damaged roof to bring the unknown individual into sight. They wore a coat, Riku recognised it as remarkably similar to his own one – when he'd still bothered to wear it, at least.

_-Xemnas?-_ Demyx suggested, noticing that thought. _-Perhaps different because he's let your old body appear to be itself instead of forcing his appearance on it.-_

_-One way to find out.- _Riku replied. _-I just hope he doesn't try to command us.-_

_-He won't be able to tell the difference, I assure you. I might, but I know the details, he doesn't. Best just keep watching.-_

The hooded figure regarded the ruined rubble that had once been the first portal, then started to climb up it, heading for the only smooth part of it – the ex-portal's flat surface. Still littered with rubble, but a clear area nonetheless.

Along the way the hood fell back, confirming Demyx's suggestion.

_-At least he's taking proper care of it,-_ Riku noted critically. _-I know that's hardly a good thing since we'll likely come up against him, but still.-_

Once Xemnas reached the clearing he nudged a large chunk of rubble across then perched on it to wait for something, glancing around. His gaze seemed to go right past them, as if they were invisible to him.

_-What'd I tell you?-_ Demyx said. _-Wonder what he's up to though?-_

A dark corridor opened, allowing Saïx to exit. He followed suit, wordlessly leaning against the remains of a wall and waiting. Then a third corridor opened and none other than Ventus, still without the helmet but also still bearing Vanitas' dark suit, joined them.

"Riku found out," he told them shortly. "We need to step up operations."

"We know where Riku hides," Saïx observed. "It shouldn't be hard to persuade them to cooperate."

"Immaterial," Xemnas replied. "Without the Heartless, we have no source of hearts. Without Master Aqua, we have no access to the legendary blade. Our operations are stalled until one of these situations is rectified."

"I'm working on it," Ventus said. "The united hearts of the seven princesses can break through Aqua's spell. I can darken them at leisure. Only Maleficent knows anything about it, and she doesn't know enough to stop me. Having Riku's friends on patrol will be inconvenient, but they're still travelling my Gummi Ship. Only Kairi will give me any trouble. That out the way," he went on. "You said you had a message from Riku."

_-What's this? Demyx, am I imagining things, or does it look like Ventus is pushing them around?-_

_-I'm not sure. Lets watch a bit more and see what they say.-_

"A scouting Nobody retrieved it from Radiant Garden, and it indicates he is willing to negotiate," Xemnas shrugged. "It is no doubt a deception, a point reinforced by his wish for me to go on my own. Nevertheless, I intend to meet him and see what he has to say for himself. He need not know what we know."

"He's up to something," Ventus said thoughtfully. "The question is what? Saïx, get out there and see if you can find out what. I've heard enough of your excuses, now get out and do some work. I want you in the field before the meeting. Find any traps, anything. Did Riku set a time?"

"Midday tomorrow," Xemnas answered. "What of you?"

"Should be bloody obvious," he snapped. "You're supposed to have intact minds, not half-baked ones like they have," he jabbed a finger up at Riku, not realising it wasn't a real Nobody. "What's it doing up there anyway?"

"Likely it has no task," Saïx said, glancing up only momentarily. "There are innumerable Dusks, and only so many tasks for them to do. Easier to leave them wandering Dark City than try to keep track of them all. Ventus, what of our other plans?"

"We can use Sora's Replica," he said, calming down somewhat. "I've made those arrangements already. Zexion unwittingly helped me reach a few other previous incarnations of Xehanort. I told him it was just an idea I had, he had no idea it was reaching back through time for them. With them included we have six, and if I can get all the princesses the full complement of thirteen. That's a last resort measure though. You _will_ bring me Kingdom Hearts, whether by completing that one up there or keeping Riku busy while I darken the princesses and reclaim my blade. No more excuses now, either of you – move!"

_-How remarkable,-_ Demyx remarked in wonder as the two Nobodies took corridors away, then only once their corridors had vanished, Ventus too.

_-I think we can lay off asking Sora to talk to Xemnas if he'll be there anyway,-_ Riku decided. _-Saïx can search all he likes, and with Ventus's orders to them we'll be given a wider opportunity to steal the portal. I don't think we should use this place though, they seem to use it as a meeting place.-_

_-Right. Better avoid the other portals too, just in case. We'll want somewhere out of sight of the castle anyway. I think we should keep up this disguise as well, they'll continue to look right past us.-_

_-We'll have to go back to the castle sooner or later though,-_ Riku put in. _-They don't know that we know they know. If we suddenly stop turning up, they'll get suspicious.-_

_-Nicely thought of. Alright, we'll search for another couple hours then report back only a bit later than usual, and if Sora feels up to it, we can ask him to carry on searching overnight.-_

_-You're welcome,-_ Sora's voice murmured sleepily.

_-I wonder if we can borrow some Nobody traits while we look like one,-_ Demyx mused. _-At the very least it can't hurt to find out while we're looking...-_

Not long after the false Dusk departed, it was seen weaving through the air not so far away.

* * *

><p>Saïx had barely appeared to notice their return, not mentioning anything out of the ordinary. There had been an oddly vague order to keep up trying to get a lead on where Riku was hiding, despite the obvious flaw they both knew about.<p>

It had been an interesting evening, not only because they'd sampled the capabilities of all the different kinds of Nobodies, but because thanks to those same capabilities they'd discovered several suitable locations even Demyx admitted he probably wouldn't have thought of otherwise.

Sora had told them since they'd found their place, he'd instead pay a midnight call on his Replica and see if he could do something about the marking Ventus had mentioned, and perhaps with Zexion's aid the 'experimental' spells he'd done for Ventus too.

Whether or not he'd actually done that was another matter. Aside from rising with the usual weariness the following morning, Sora had left them no notes and said nothing.

Now it was a race – whether Ventus would be able to darken the princesses before Riku managed to steal and complete Kingdom Hearts. And they had no idea about his plans, because they'd been made without involving Ventus.

Someone knocked the door. Riku tried to nudge Demyx into wakefulness, then gave up, ensured he looked like Demyx, and decided he had to give it a try. He let Saïx in, quickly remembering to look like he'd just got up.

"Plans have changed," Saïx told him. "Xemnas is going to meet Riku, and the portal cannot be left unguarded. Nobodies are currently investigating the site of the meeting in order to ensure it is safe, a task I would ordinarily handle myself."

"But the portal needs guarding. I don't mind handling that for you," Riku ventured.

"No. We need you in the field. We have word that Ansem the Wise has been spotted in various worlds, his intentions unknown. We require you to find him and ascertain his goals. Depart as soon as you are ready."

_-Inconvenient,-_ Demyx yawned as Saïx turned to leave. _-Ventus isn't going to like it if he finds out Saïx isn't doing as he's told.-_

"Maybe we can use that..." Riku mused thoughtfully, moving to glance in a mirror. "If he can hide the darkness from showing in his eyes, maybe I can do the reverse."

_-To what end?-_

Riku didn't answer, concentrating. Ventus had ten years to figure out what he was doing in mere moments. He didn't dare let the darkness out, not with the three of them and two hearts present – that would cause irreparable harm. His eyes flickered through colours, never quite wanting to settle into the same yellow spectrum as the darkness caused, but eventually he forced them to comply.

"Right," he said, taking a deep breath. "That's the hard part done. Now I need your attention to detail, Demyx. Point out any mistakes in this next change. We need to look convincing."

This time Demyx remained quite, watching as the image in the mirror blurred and shifted. The hair restyled itself, turning to the familiar golden blond Roxas and Ventus had both taken pains to maintain, the face looking out rearranged and settled into a similarly familiar appearance. The rest was concealed, though the coat was rapidly replaced with an identical copy of the dark suit.

_-Oh, now I see. I should have thought of that, but I kinda only just woke up. You need to get the colours right on the suit though,-_ he added critically, giving him precise instructions to fix it and a number of other minor flaws. Afterwards he said, _-Now try your voice. No good looking like him if you don't sound like him.-_

"Shouldn't be a problem there, if I've done it right," Riku said, crackling at first as it settled into the new voice. "Think I've got it now. What do you think?"

_-If I didn't know better I'd say that was Ventus on the other side of the glass. Why don't we go terrorize Saïx?-_

"Not just yet. We've got time before our fictional meeting. We'll check on those locations first and decide which one we're going to use, then pay a call on our new subordinate just before he's supposed to be leaving. After all, we did _order_ him to get out of the castle, didn't we?"


	79. Bully Boy

The location they'd settled on was on the outskirts of the city, concealed from the castle's view by a string of skyscraper blocks. Like the original portal, the area was inaccessible by normal means, a clear yard that had, until now, been used as a rather badly tended garden. The overgrown foliage was relocated and several walls were obliterated to make room for the portal, causing several of the buildings to collapse. The rubble from this was packed tightly together underneath the remains, shoring them carefully up so that from the outside of the buildings, no one would see anything that would give them away.

The resulting effect gave them a hollowed shell that looked no different from outside or above, but had only one room fully intact where the rest had been removed. They'd had to take precautions to ensure the incoming hearts did not get caught on the remains, ensuring the impending influx would not be impacted in any way.

Several Nobodies had turned up to find out what the noise of construction was about, but on seeing Riku still looking like Ventus, they fled. One more brave Sniper Nobody perched under the remains of one roof, watching intently until he'd fixed it with a look. It wasn't a harsh look or a questioning look, it was just a look. The Sniper quickly remembered somewhere else it had to be, and after that word appeared to have been spread among them as they stopped showing up.

Also while working, Demyx made periodic remarks that they hoped would help him seem even more like Ventus – his confident walk, not quite a swagger but very close to it, the attitude – a lot of it was guesswork since his true colours had been shown, but Demyx's attention to detail covered most of it.

"How long do we have?" Riku asked, not for the first time. He'd used it more before to try to sound even more like Ventus.

_-Not long now. Xemnas should have left for the meeting, if he hasn't already. He's always been one for turning up early. Saïx is likely up at the portal. We'll want to pay him a visit soon.-_

"Are we ready here?"

_-As ready as we can be. Bring out your Keyblade before you go though. We've still got that illusion making it appear to be Void Gear. A little extra assurance, as they say. If he asks why we've got it out...-_

"Then I'll tell him to mind his own business. I don't answer to him, he answers to me," Riku said firmly.

_-Good voice, take that tone with him and keep up the act well enough and he'll see what we want him to see. Lets go, Ventus.-_

Riku took a moment to set himself in his idea of Ventus's mindset, taking the harder expression he'd seen while watching their meeting, then instead of taking a corridor he snapped a remark that opened a portal instead. Since they looked identical Saïx shouldn't notice the difference, and as it only existed for a shorter time he wouldn't have the opportunity to notice the scent of Riku's darkness instead of Ven's.

Saïx was, as expected, at the portal. Several Nobodies were with him, all of which drew back when they saw who they thought was Ventus. They were definitely afraid of him.

"What do you think you're doing?" Riku demanded harshly, causing Saïx to take an unconscious step back. "I told you to get out and do it yourself!"

"But- the portal-" he started.

"Did you think I hadn't thought of that? Honestly, you're worse than a Dusk sometimes. I told you to do it personally because I'd already decided to protect the portal. I didn't bother to tell you because I thought you'd be sensible enough to do what you're told."

"I've got Nobodies scouting the scene, Ventus," Saïx said insistently. "They'll find anything there."

"And they won't make any sense of it," he replied disdainfully, at Demyx's quick prompting. "You have a full mind, they don't. Now get out there and do your job Saïx, or I'll break your mind and make you stupider than a Dusk."

Saïx's eyes went wide. Despite being a Nobody himself, he at least appeared to be afraid. "You wouldn't dare. You need me, you said so yourself. I'm one of the thirteen vessels."

"You're dispensable," Riku shrugged. "I can find someone else to replace you, and like I said, the vessels are a last resort thing. We won't need it if you did your damn job. Now _move_, Saïx!" Saïx hesitated, so Riku took up Ventus's battle stance aiming the Keyblade for him. "I can deal with you right here, right now, or you can-"

Saïx hastily opened a corridor and almost ran into it.

"You know," Riku said after a moment. "I never realised how much fun bullying someone can be. I wonder if he knows that."

_-Probably. It's one of the inconveniences of being good – you don't get to do the more enjoyable things like that, because you're good. The bad guys get to do that all the time.-_

"Shame. I think we'll put the spell stone down round the back, it looks like there's less room there. Anyone who wanted to look would have to stand on the very edge, and I don't think anyone would want to do that. Where'd I put it?"

_-Pocket inside the suit,-_ Demyx supplied. _-It was the pocket of my coat, but I was paying attention as you changed. A pocket was formed when you altered it to Ven's suit. Just alter it again to make it emerge or something.-_

"You know, there's something else I wonder," Riku said, edging warily out along the edge with the stone in hand. "Xemnas didn't appear to know Roxas was Ventus, or that Ventus was Vanitas for that matter. But he must have known Ven as we know him now, because by the sounds of it, he's been giving him orders the whole time."

_-Yeah, I thought of that. You remember when you came to my room to see me when I was a shade? I heard Saïx talking to himself, imagine you probably did too. It sounded like Ven has some kind of mental link to both of them. Maybe he used that.-_

"I'm not so sure," Riku replied, tapping the stone so it would capture the area as it stood right now. Once they took the portal, it'd be left in place to notice the difference and project their illusion. "If he has a link to them, shouldn't that have given us away? And why go to the trouble of arranging that meeting last night if he can just talk to them like that? I think his talk of vessels is the key."

_-Right. Last night he said something about incarnations of Master Xehanort. Maybe the vessels are others who aren't related, but are there to bring the number up to thirteen, like the princesses if Ven darkens them.-_

"Exactly. So maybe it's one of the incarnations? Ansem – Xehanort's Heartless, that is – talked to me, a lot like you do. I figure it's something similar."

_-Interesting. That spell done yet? We shouldn't spend too long up here if we can help it.-_

"Almost. It's just gone through yellow into orange, as soon as it turns red we'll be good to go. You do know how to transport this portal, don't you? I'm kinda depending on you to know."

_-Don't worry. I've had that in mind from the beginning. Magic and technology don't mix, but Darkness is different. I'll use a heavily modified corridor to do it. It'll be centred on us, but will expand to take the portal too. I can be selective about it, so the stone will remain behind.-_

"You'll need control back then. Want me to change back?"

_-Nah, let me enjoy being a bully for a bit too,-_ Demyx chuckled. _-Maybe since no one will recognise us, we can go around pretending to be Ven and enjoy doing the things we good guys can't do.-_

"Spells done," Riku noted. "Your turn."

The handover was quicker this time, having become a routine thing. Not needing to change made it even easier. Demyx seemed to start almost before he'd fully taken over, the scent of darkness filling the air. A circle of it appeared beneath them, rapidly expanding outwards then arcing overhead to form a vast dome.

"Here we go," Demyx said over the growing rush of air, then the corridor caught with a rumble. Light was extinguished in this corridor except for the light of the portal itself, which flickered as they passed through, showing many other places. Once he caught sight of Axel and Aqua, then the view changed again and showed Ventus before the Magic Mirror in the Dwarf Woodlands. That view too was lost, then with another rumble and a shake of the ground, the corridor cleared.

The portal settled, crunching down onto the rubble strewn clearing. They'd tried to estimate where it would be and clear it up, but some still remained. It was a very narrow fit, and they'd appeared inside the intact room just beyond, forcing Demyx to open a door to check on the portal.

_-Best test it,-_ Riku said. _-You're still holding my Keyblade, so I don't think we'll have a problem there.-_

"Huh?" Demyx said, looking at the Keyblade in his hand. "Wow. That's unexpected. I mean, I know we suspected it'd happen because I'm sorta sharing with you, but I didn't... well, expect it to actually work."

_-Stop sounding so excited, Demyx. We look like Ventus, remember? Think big bad bully.-_ he paused, then added, _-And find us somewhere safer than here to go beat up a few Heartless. I think I can bring them here without needing to take control back, then you get to play with my Keyblade.-_

"Big bad bully," he snorted. "Try 'arrogant jerk' Riku. It's more accurate."

_-Whatever works. Make sure we can see the portal. I think I can see using the darkness without needing you to use a blindfold or anything, so you destroy the Heartless and I'll watch to make sure the portal still works.-_

Demyx nodded, not answering this time, and took them to a nearby edge of the city.

"Remember this place?" he asked. "You appeared to Xaldin and me here as Sora. Or was that the Replica?"

_-No, that was me. One of the few times I got to pretend I was a bad guy, at least. I imagine Xaldin had a number of names for me before I dropped him into the portal. Got our portal in my sights, Heartless are incoming. See if you can bring out the Keyblade Sora borrowed from Aqua.-_

"Uh... how?"

_-Well, that's obvious. You just... huh... I don't know actually. I've just... done it. Never really thought about it before.-_

"Well that's helpful," Demyx remarked, then experimentally swung his free hand the way Riku often summoned his Keyblade, but nothing happened. "Maybe it only works for you and Sora, and I can only borrow them. Probably better to keep to just one anyway, I mean Ven only holds one."

_-Suit yourself. Have some Soldier Heartless to beat up.-_

Unlike the Nobodies, the Heartless either did not recognise the apparent sight of Ventus, or were not afraid of him. They did however sense their two hearts, and since they'd been released from Riku's control the small gaggle of Soldiers clattered toward him. One tripped up another along the way, two more walked into each other and left only three heading for Demyx.

Though Riku had never seen him wield a Keyblade before he knew he was observant and had seen him use it. His initial strikes were a little awkward but not bad, and as he continued to practice he started to pick up some semblance of competence with it.

"Fun," he noted as the fifth Soldier fell. "Little different to what I'm used to, but a bit more effective. I could get used to that. The hearts?"

_-Soaring up to Kingdom Hearts as we speak,-_ Riku replied. _-Looks like we're in business. I'll be busy for a bit spreading the Heartless out, making sure they protect the remaining princesses and such. Might see a few hearts consumed, but can't be helped really. Hopefully I'll be able to ask Kingdom Hearts to do something about that too. Anyway, while I'm busy with this, go ahead and enjoy pretending to be Ventus.-_

"As if I wasn't already. And if I happen across a few of your Heartless along the way... well, a few more contributions won't hurt. Gotta practice on something."


	80. Threats

At a quick request to Riku, Demyx had not decided to hunt for the Heartless just yet and instead now looked like Riku. The note they'd had passed to Xemnas suggested the mythical meeting would take place in Radiant Garden, though they had not specified where. That meant Xemnas was there somewhere.

He nudged Sora into borrowing Riku's command, having the Heartless divert their attention to finding Xemnas. There were a number of places Demyx suspected he'd be, but without checking them all no way to be sure. The Heartless soon reported back, pointing him toward, where else, the lab of Ansem the Wise.

_-He's not actually at the lab yet,-_ Sora reported. _-But he'll be there soon. Do you know what you're doing?-_

"Of course I do," Demyx replied, pausing to snap, "Ansem's lab!" and stepping into the portal that formed. "I'm going to commander the lab, he's going to see Riku, and then we'll make some show of negotiating. Don't worry, Sora," he said, lowering his voice. "I won't do anything to act against you and Riku."

_-Mind if I watch all the same? Riku will want to know too, and two pairs of ears are better than one.-_

"Suit yourself," he replied, clearing off the desk and chair of the accumulated debris of the years. Smashed glass and more debris lay everywhere, but it was a minor matter – as long as he had Ansem's chair, the desk and one chair opposite free, that was all he needed.

With only a few moments to spare he took Ansem's chair, putting his hands together on the desk as he waited for Xemnas to make an appearance.

"Familiar," he said as he pushed the door aside. "I recall speaking to the old fool here myself once."

"We're not here to reminisce, Xemnas," Demyx told him, gesturing to the free chair. "You're aware of what I want. I've decided it's time to negotiate with you."

"You know our terms."

"Exactly why we're negotiating. You are no doubt aware some Heartless have momentarily escaped my control?" he asked, concealing the fact that it was deliberate. "Yes, I thought you might. So far it appears there are more than enough to complete Kingdom Hearts, and since I understand Master Aqua has been retrieved from the Realm of Darkness that means myself excluded there are no less than five Keyblades on the scene."

"Five? I know of only four – again, excluding you."

"I'm better informed than you," Demyx shrugged. "It comes from doing things myself instead of having others do it for you."

"Either way, it does not matter. You cannot stop Kingdom Hearts waxing full now."

"No, that much I understand. So here are my terms, Xemnas. You will permit me one use and one use only before you make use of Kingdom Hearts. In return, as before, I will aid you in completing it ahead of schedule, and if you attempt to double cross me on this, I will see to it you regret it."

"Entirely unacceptable, and entirely out of my hands," Xemnas replied. "It is not I who will use Kingdom Hearts. Ventus says you have become aware of his true intentions. It is he who wants it."

_-At last, he admits it,-_ Sora murmured.

"So you will not even consider it?" Demyx inquired, then without giving him a chance, "I didn't think so. In that case I feel it only fair to warn you. I mean to possess Kingdom Hearts myself, and I will not let you or Ventus or anyone else stop me."

"Then you should be ready to fight, Riku. You can only possess it if you have the only working portal, and to take that you will have to go through me."

"I've already come up with a plan to handle that," Demyx replied smoothly. "Nevertheless, I'll keep that in mind. I don't doubt you and I will meet in battle when you find out the details of that plan – not to mention where I'm really hiding. This is just what you might call my office for the times I need to meet others. Ansem gave it to me," he lied. "So I might as well use it. One last thing, Xemnas. You have one thing wrong – Demyx is in no way tied to me. I helped him along the way to restoration, but that's where we parted ways."

"What makes you think we thought otherwise?" Xemnas asked with a completely straight face.

"As I said, I'm better informed than you. I'm aware you think somehow I had him join with me so I could hide behind him. Don't let me detain you any further, Xemnas."

"That's it?" he demanded suddenly. "You give me an offer of negotiation then refuse to meet any terms and just send me on my way?"

"Yes," Demyx agreed. "Is there a problem with that? Something you feel I've overlooked? Let me see... you mentioned your terms, I told you mine, you explained that Ventus is the one in command now and that I should have called him here to negotiate, I warned you about my intentions... no, I seem to have covered everything. Show yourself out will you?"

Xemnas stared in stunned shock for a moment before storming out.

"Don't even think of slamming the door," Demyx called after him, though it was ignored. "Oh god, I enjoyed doing that to him," he breathed afterwards, leaning back in the chair.

_-You might have tipped him off you know,-_ Sora suggested.

"Not likely. I worded it carefully. It implies that we have a plan, but haven't yet put it in place. He'll be looking out for an attempt to steal it from him – but he's looking too late."

_-And the business about yourself?-_

"That was just something I threw in," Demyx admitted. "I don't expect them to believe it, but if they do it could help. At best, they'll think Riku and I are separate entities, not the way we actually are. They may or may not think I'm in collusion with him, but that's not really too important. If they don't buy it... well, it's not really a major concern."

_-It was all just extra distraction then – buying a bit more time before they find out.-_

"Pretty much, yeah. That was the whole point. I figure the way things are right now, we'll be able to claim Kingdom Hearts and do what we need with it. As long as Aqua refuses to help Ventus, he can't go and reclaim the X-blade, and as long as any one of the princesses is safe, he can't use them either. Everything basically hinges on this."

_-So now what? Gonna go play with the Heartless?-_

"Can't. I dismissed Riku's Keyblade, and they don't respond to me."

Sora muttered something, shoving Demyx out of control for long enough to bring Riku's Keyblade and Aqua's borrowed one into their hands, then settled back out again.

_-There. Honestly, trying to get out of work even with us, I don't know...-_

"Hey!" Demyx protested. "I've done everything so far, haven't I?"

_-He's teasing you,-_ Riku said, breaking his long silence at last. _-The Heartless are enjoying themselves, at least as much as their natural limits let them. You really irritated Xemnas you know – he's actually swearing at a bunch outside he's beating up.-_

"You were listening then?"

_-Of course. Go play with the Heartless, Demyx. Just make sure we get to check on the portal before you return to the castle in the evening.-_

"Wait a moment – someone else is coming," he breathed quietly, watching the door. The sound of footsteps came closer with no attempt to conceal them. A dark scent started to join it.

_-Him again,-_ Riku said. _-I hope he doesn't know about earlier.-_

_-Why?- _Sora silently replied. _-We got Saïx out, like he wanted.-_

_-Children, please,-_ Demyx told them. _-Let me listen.-_

Ventus came into view, leaning on the back of the seat Xemnas had recently vacated, looking at them with the same friendly smile he'd always seemed to have.

"You're up to something," he said after a moment. "I don't know what you're doing or how, but you're up to something, Riku."

"I'm always up to something," Demyx replied, as he remained in control, even with two Keyblades to hand. "Did you want to say anything else, or did you just come here to tell me what I already know?"

"Why do you want Kingdom Hearts, Riku? What can you do with it that I can't?"

"Not a matter of what you can't do, just something I gather you won't do. You want to take Master Xehanort's plan for yourself, and you need a Kingdom Hearts to do so. What I want to do is much more selfless."

"Setting it free? That's just a waste. Even you worked hard for it."

"That's not all I'm going to do with it, Ventus – if that's still what you want to call yourself."

Ven shrugged, "I've grown used to it these past ten years, and more recently Roxas. I never really liked the way he looked, but since everyone believed I was him, I had to tolerate it. I wasn't going to act like him though. The Ventus I knew wouldn't have got into nearly as much trouble as I did."

"What actually happened? When he and you clashed in that... what was it Maleficent called it-"

_-A metaphysical battle,-_ Riku supplied, Demyx finishing his own sentence aloud with it.

"We fought, of course. Whoever came out on top would be left holding the legendary blade. He wasn't a bad fighter, but he'd deliberately limited himself in giving his heart away. That story I gave you? Fiction. I had no need to limit myself. Power and balance had nothing to do with it, all I had to do was get rid of him."

"Then why retrieve his heart?" Demyx asked. "The way you told it, you and he had a heart each."

"Because idiot, I'm him and he's me. When he had the Pan boy protect his heart, mine got dragged into it as well. I couldn't retrieve one without the other because they're both mine and they're both his. One and the same, even if his is annoyingly light. But you know what, Riku? It's done me good, having his half of our heart. Put me in real balance. That see, is where I set an example that everything else, even the greater world and all worlds within, should follow."

"Why? Because it's your vision of balance?"

Ventus gave him a disdainful look. "You really don't understand, do you? The greater world is made up of the worlds yes, but it also covers all three realms – Light, Dark and the realm between the two. They're constantly trying to seek balance with each other, but the actions of people and the heartless, they all upset that balance. And when the balance is disrupted, people suffer. The way things are right now... it's too far broken to fix. Master Xehanort had the right idea, but he was a power-hungry egomaniac. Better in my hands than his."

"What are you talking about, Ventus? Better _what_ in your hands?"

"Kingdom Hearts, you idiot! If I have that I can remake all of creation in perfect balance, united with it at the core of everything! Everything will be in balance – the Heartless obliterated, the Light and Dark realms abolished and united into the realm Between so they can't each strive to be more powerful than the other! And if someone tries to upset the balance I can simply wield the power of Kingdom Hearts to stop them!"

"So it _is_ your vision of balance you want. A world where everyone obeys you and keeps the balance out of fear of punishment. A world where people have to do exactly what you want. Sorry, Ventus. I don't subscribe to the whole world domination thing. If you want that... well, you'll have to deal with me first."

"I could give you anything, Riku. Your life back, separated from Sora. Wealth, power, anyone you wanted, anything at all."

"That wouldn't be balanced though, would it?"

"I'd find a way. I keep my promises."

"Shame you don't have anything I can't already get myself then, isn't it?"

"You're turning me down? Seriously? You could have anything-"

"I don't want anything," Riku said, taking over from Demyx. "You remember Ansem? Xehanort's Heartless? He tried to convince me to do the same thing you are right now. He failed, because I don't want power. I don't want everything. What I want, I can ask Kingdom Hearts to do for me. And then when it's done with anything it decides to do, it'll be set free. All those hearts taken, all the suffering it's caused – that'll be undone, the people restored. _That_ is balance, Ventus."

"You stupid, selfless, narrow-minded fool," Ven shook his head. "But fine. If this is the way you want to play it, I'll play it your way. Next time we meet, you'd better be ready because if you haven't changed your mind I'll obliterate you."

"Always nice listening to your idle threats, Ventus?" Riku smiled. "Don't hesitate to let yourself out now, hear?"


	81. Deception

**A/N:** Yeah, I know, _very_ late chapter. Blame Minecraft - and the GregTech mod. I spent waaaaay too long trying to figure it out.

* * *

><p>Sora now stood guard over the portal as day faded into night, though as usual there was no significant transition in the World that Never Was. Riku and Demyx had passed word about a few contacts, updating Aqua and the rest of the gang and catching the King while passing through Radiant Garden. Mickey had agreed to help them out by taking Donald and Goofy off Aqua's hands so they had another Keyblade on the scene and a second group protecting the princesses.<p>

While with Aqua, Kairi had mentioned she'd felt an attempt made on Snow White, so they'd then gone to visit her. She was fortunately fine, the Magic Mirror telling them in its poetic way it had protected her within a special realm inside the mirror when Ventus had come to call, refusing to answer him. Ventus had apparently been irritated enough about that to casually obliterate a fair chunk of the Heartless population.

Now even though it meant they'd be more tired in the morning, they'd gone to get some sleep while he kept watch. While he could be nocturnal and not tire, their shared body did and they all knew it could not be kept up for long, but this close it had also been considered necessary. If Xemnas became aware of their actions and stole the portal back before time...

He glanced up toward Kingdom Hearts, briefly using the darkness to ensure there was still a steady stream of hearts flowing up to it. It seemed as if it had shifted in the sky slightly, tilting in mute response to the movement of the portal. Hopefully Xemnas wouldn't notice until it was too late.

In the portal below, various scenes were displayed. Aqua had stopped to rest in Olympus Coliseum, given rooms by Phil – who, Demyx had earlier suggested, had a crush on her. While she, Zexion and Donald slept, Kairi was up standing guard with Axel and Goofy, occasionally fending off a stray Heartless. Nothing to be concerned about there.

Ventus was not visible, likely also sleeping. If he wanted to get up early enough to get the better of them, he'd need to be up very early.

Xemnas meanwhile was busy giving himself some practical training, once again holding Riku's appearance. He wasn't as unskilled as he'd been when Sora last saw him practising, causing considerable casualties in the ranks of the Heartless. That meant Saïx was on guard duty again. At least this time he was supposed to be there.

A curious passing Dusk came over the edge of the roof, striding over to see what Sora was watching only to be destroyed by a quick jab from one Keyblade – summoned, used on it, then dismissed. It was barely visible for more than a moment.

Riku had been very careful about his commands when it had come to the Heartless too, and very detailed as well. They were to keep more to the places where people were not so likely to be, minimizing the chances of more hearts being taken, and also to keep tabs on Ventus. If he – or, Sora soon discovered, Xemnas or Saïx – were noticed making an attempt for any of the undarkened princesses, they would pass word about and instantly gather together in their path, forcing them to go through the Heartless.

And all the while help them too, he added mentally. It was a neat plan. There were still things that could go wrong, but very little they could do about it at this stage, particularly moving at this pace.

Sora considered that. If Saïx was on guard, maybe he could be tampered with again. He'd been forced out into the field by Riku posing as Ventus. A second meeting might raise suspicions, but what if instead he saw who he thought was Xemnas instead? Riku had already figured out how to force their eyes to settle into the right colour to emulate one under the influence of the darkness, the rest was relatively simple.

It wasn't going to be certain enough though. He closed his eyes, listening intently to the surrounding sounds for a time until he was certain he'd notice any change in them, then sent the darkness out again, seeing through it. Though the castle was well-lit, there were always shadows, dark places he could use.

In moments he was hopping through dark shadows in the city, reaching toward the castle, and in a few more he'd found a way in. It took him only a little longer to trace the well worn routes to the Altar of Naught, where Merlin's illusion was holding steady even in the purview of the dark sight he was using. If it could fool even this, it was unlikely they'd ever suspect anything was wrong by it alone.

Saïx was, as he thought, stood before it. Several Berserker Nobodies flanked him, and Snipers were on the walls just below the ledge, warily acting as lookouts. In all the wrong places though.

Leaving the portal unguarded was risky, but perhaps this risk would pay off. Sora brought his sight back and rummaged through all their memories with only a brief sleepy protest from Demyx before he had what he wanted – a mental image of Xemnas in his own form that would pass muster. Their body blurred and shifted as he took on that appearance complete with the coat. A small puddle on the roof provided a reflection, and Xemnas looking back out at him.

"Take me to Saïx," he told the empty air in Xemnas' voice. Demyx and Riku preferred to snap the portals into existence, but it wasn't really necessary – a strong will would do it. Riku had already discovered this, quite a while back. He just hadn't taken notice of it.

The portal responded to his words and his will, not actually taking him directly to him, but a place not far away. It gave him time to get into Xemnas' usual walk before he actually stepped into view at the base of the steps, calmly ascending them to glance at the fake portal.

"You are back early," Saïx noted. "Did something happen?"

"I ran into Sora. Not the Replica."

"Not Riku?"

"He doesn't seem inclined to the night-life," Sora replied. "If he and Sora are working together, we can safely assume they are working on something – possibly a replica of this portal. It was not far enough along to tell for sure."

"Have you told Ventus?"

"He's sleeping. If it is a portal it is unlikely to be finished in time, so I see no need to bother him. It may be worth investigation anyway – Riku could be using the place as his place of concealment."

"Where was the portal?"

"Within the computer system of Ansem the Wise. I gather it will not function there, but as the world within progresses at a faster rate than ours outside, more progress can be made sooner. I would have done something more, but Riku circulated my appearance among the security programs there. Perhaps you will have better luck tomorrow."

"Are you staying?"

"No. I'll return to capturing hearts as usual for now. Keep up guard – Riku suggested he may be making an attempt for this portal when I met him."

"You mentioned already. I haven't forgotten."

Sora merely nodded impassively, turning aside into a portal that would lead him to the same computer he'd just been talking about, along the way altering his appearance back to his own. Hopefully he'd be able to talk to Tron, and if Tron understood he was on Riku's side, have him capture and arrest Saïx. The idea of trapping the Nobody in the virtual world without a way back was appealing. Not dead, and unfortunately not destroyed, but if no one else entered or left after that all-important micro-cycle Tron had told Riku about, he'd be trapped there until someone else came through.

The problem was, he had no idea what he was doing, a fact reinforced when he stared blankly at the computer's screen without understanding anything on it.

"I don't suppose you can hear me, Tron?" he asked, not expecting anything to happen. Nothing did. "Anyone else then? Is there any Program in there that can hear me?"

"I hear you," a voice responded. "But I don't know you. You're not registered as a User on the system."

"You're Score, right? The one Ansem re-purposed to manage the User accounts."

"You know me?" Score said with some surprise. "How?"

"I'm a friend of Riku's," he replied. "One of his best friends actually. My name's Sora."

"You realise I can't just accept your word."

"How's this then? I know that Riku came into your system under the guise of a security program, freed you, Ram and Tron from a Pit Cell, took control of the system and in the process deleted the MCP and-"

"Alright, enough! Either you're very good at weaselling things out, or you're really friends with him. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt. What do you need us for?"

"I've come to warn you. Saïx, a User who opposes Riku, is planning to make a visit to your world. He thinks Riku and I are constructing something within your world because we can work quicker there, which is obviously a deception. I told him that lie in order to get him out of our hair. I was hoping Tron would be so kind as to arrest him and maybe even keep him there past time he can get out."

"That's not exactly morally right, Sora," Score objected. "I know Tron, and he won't like that."

"He'll like the alternative even less. Saïx is one of two people who are trying to create and abuse the power of Kingdom Hearts. Riku and I are stealing it from under his nose, but there's a chance that with Saïx's help, Xemnas – that's the other one – will still be able to get it. If we can get Saïx out of the picture, he'll be all on his own with a lot of work to do."

"I'm still not entirely convinced, but I'll pass it on. Can you give me any details about this Saïx User?"

Sora quickly rattled off a description of him. "But I know Users appear different in your world, so I don't know how much that'll help," he finished afterwards.

"Don't worry about that. We'll use some of the cameras recording the area you're in to check for him. Didn't know I could see you too, did you Sora?"

"Are you sure there isn't a bit of User in you, Score?" Sora asked.

"Why Sora, what a thing to suggest," Score chuckled. "Don't worry about us here, Sora. Tron will at least make things difficult for Saïx."

"Thanks Score. I better get back to my guard duty."


	82. Discovered

Riku took over from Sora come morning, listening to Sora tell of his night-time exploits. Demyx was resting in this morning.

"Score's probably right you know, Tron isn't likely to do that. We can hope though."

_-Well, least I did something that might help a bit,-_ Sora said defensively. _-Sooner we get this over with the better though. I'd like to have a normal life again.-_

"Normal? Us?" Riku asked. "There's no such thing."

_-Yeah, probably right. Still... any idea how long?-_

"Demyx would be the one to ask when he wakes up," he replied, watching the portal. "He's the one with all the numbers. I think I'll be able to tell if it's completed though."

_-You know Xemnas is going to be really pissed off at you if he finds out what we've done.-_

"Good. Angry people act rashly and make mistakes. He's a Nobody like the rest of them, but I suspect with the dual influences of Terra and my original body, he's getting at least a few feelings. That's all it takes."

_-If you boys don't mind,-_ Demyx said somewhat testily, _-Since I'm not going to get any sleep, I think it's time I paid a call on Saïx. After telling him I'm separate from you two, I should put in an appearance.-_

"The portal-" Riku started.

_-Will keep for a time without us hovering over it. Put some Heartless on it if you're really all that concerned. Now if you wouldn't mind?-_

Riku muttered a few remarks, shifting once again to Demyx's familiar appearance and handing back to him.

_-I don't know, try to give you some time off...-_ Riku muttered afterwards.

"Oh, stop complaining," Demyx told him. "Now lets go pester the old scar-faced annoyance."

The corridor left them in what had always been Saïx's usual daytime haunt, the Grey Area – but was deserted now. Curiously, he traced Saïx's morning routine back past the kitchen and then to Saïx's room, opening it without bothering to knock. Aside from being scrupulously tidy even where various files had been left out, there was nothing at all in the room.

_-Odd,-_ Riku remarked. _-You don't think he's gone to play with the Programs, do you?-_

"I guess he could have, but it's early even for him. If he did leave the castle, it was always much later, like after everyone else had gone. Not that there is an 'everyone else' any more," he added.

_-The portal then? The one they think is the real one?-_

"Possible," Demyx said. "Xemnas is probably there though. Are you sure you want to chance him?"

_-You're the one in control right now Demyx, and you're the one who wanted to make himself known. I'll back you up if you need, but it's up to you as long as you don't get us into too much trouble.-_

Demyx didn't reply, heading back into the labyrinthine corridors of the castle, picking his way up toward the Altar of Naught once again. At one point the path took him outside, causing faint voices to echo indistinctly down.

He slowed when he approached the archway leading out to the Altar itself, keeping quiet and trying to remain out of sight. Having a black coat in a white castle made it difficult.

_-So become a Nobody again?-_ Riku suggested. _-White on white, after all.-_

"Samurai," Demyx breathed, getting fully out of sight. "Not going to leave myself unarmed."

_-One Samurai body coming right up,-_ he replied, in a few moments their body shifting to provide them with the correct appearance.

Demyx came back into view again, though still advanced warily as he approached. As the Altar came into view so did Ventus and Xemnas, and with it their voices.

"-telling you, I wasn't here," Ventus said. "The last time I was here was for our meeting."

"Then if it was not you, who-"

"Riku, obviously," Ventus answered in scathing tones. "I _told_ you to be wary for this kind of thing! You've done everything short of losing me this portal, and I wouldn't be surprised to find that's next!"

"Hardly likely," Xemnas said stiffly. "Kingdom Hearts is almost complete. Only hours remain now, I believe."

_-Useful,-_ Demyx silently noted. _-My figures must be slightly out.-_

"At least you haven't screwed up that," Ventus said irritably. "Honestly, one simple task... you had what, the better part of six years now, and still you're only just this far. I should have taken Terra's advice from the start and done everything myself. And what's that doing here?" he jabbed Void Gear toward Demyx. "A Nobody on patrol? Do you seriously expect Riku to make such a blatant move for the portal?"

Xemnas frowned, appearing to notice them for the first time.

"No," he said after a moment. "This is nothing I have enacted. The Nobodies would not stand up to Riku were he to make an attempt. They are supposed to be out trying to capture the Princesses for you. Besides the Dusks, no Nobody should be here."

"Then why is it here?" Ventus demanded, then not bothering to wait he pointed at them again. "You. Come here."

_-Leave this to me,-_ Demyx told Riku, making his way up toward Ventus and Xemnas. _-I think I can emulate the way a Nobody talks to others.-_

_-I hope you're right,-_ Riku murmured.

_-Hush. If you say anything he might notice.-_ Then to Ventus, sounding no different to Riku, _-What do you wish, my liege?-_

"Haven't you been paying attention either? You're even worse than he is. What are you doing here, Nobody?"

_-I sensed the presence of hearts in this world,-_ Demyx replied. _-But they were not where they were supposed to be. I was here finding out why they no longer come from here.-_

Ventus stared at him for a few tense moments. Riku wanted to ask Demyx what he was doing giving away the game, but dared not say anything in case Ventus heard.

After a moment he managed to tear his eyes away to look at the portal behind him. The surface showed locations and others fighting, as it had been designed to, but the images it showed were not real. Ventus watched them, frowning – then noticed one. A part of the portal that showed him.

"But I wasn't..." he started, staring at it, then his eyes went wide. "No. No, he couldn't have."

"Ventus?" Xemnas asked, puzzled.

"Oh, you _idiot!_" he snapped suddenly. "All this time we've been expecting him to take it from us, and he's already done it!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying this is a fake – just watch and tell me you doubt me!" He raised one fist, darkness flaring around it, then pounded hard on the illusion of the portal. Instead of a thump of impact it passed right through, causing the illusion to falter and flicker. A second blow destroyed it entirely, leaving the glowing red spell stone on the far side.

"Impossible," Xemnas breathed. "We left it guarded at all times. He couldn't have had the chance to do this."

"Well obviously he did, and right under your nose too! Who knows where he has the portal now? Damn you Riku!"

"But... how?"

"I should have thought that was obvious. I told you I hadn't turned up here since that meeting, and you tell me you saw me talking to Saïx – obviously that was Riku masquerading as me, and that was when he did it! And if not then, all it'd take is one meeting where you or Saïx think you're seeing me or for all I know each other, you think you're leaving the portal in good hands when in fact he's stealing it from right underneath you! For all we know Riku could be right with us now in who knows what form and-" he stopped again. Two pairs of eyes stared at Demyx.

"Could it be?" Xemnas wondered. "We know he can force his body to change appearance, but could he have assumed the form of a Nobody?"

_-I know not, my liege,-_ Demyx said, somehow managing to remain calm.

"He looks and sounds authentic," Ventus said. "But if he can convince you two he's me, that counts for nothing. You said you were trying to find where the hearts were coming from instead?"

_-That was to be our next intention.-_

"An idea occurs to me," Xemnas said.

"I've had enough of _your_ ideas," Ven snapped at him. "They're what got us in this mess."

"I believe it may identify whether what we see is Riku or merely a Nobody. Tell me, what was the order I gave all Nobodies this morning?" he asked.

_-You commanded us to bring you any of the Princesses of Heart,-_ Demyx volunteered.

"My exact words being...?"

There was a pause, then, _-Bugger. One moment.-_ Demyx mentally nudged Riku, not daring to say anything. Riku caught the hint, doing only what was necessary to change them not to himself, but to Demyx's form.

"Pretty convincing, eh?" he asked jovially afterwards. "I'm still here for the reason I told you though. The source of hearts has moved."

"And how do we know you're not just Riku trying to throw us off again?" Ventus demanded.

"Please! I told Riku to tell him," he nodded to Xemnas, "The two of us are completely separate."

"Then how do you explain being able to change form so easily?"

"No idea. I just think about it, and it happens. Only been able to do it since I came back. All I can tell you there is that one moment I was there watching Nyx get destroyed by Cloud in Radiant Garden, next thing I know I'm in Dark City... well, like this."

"Is that even possible?"

"With Nyx, possibly," Xemnas answered. "We never fully explored the possibilities of it. Too few intact Nobodies to use as test subjects. Demyx was only the third."

"Third?" Demyx asked. "I heard it was the second."

"The Sora Replica has it dormant within him," Xemnas explained. "We can activate it any time – assuming your touch hasn't nullified it," he added to Ventus.

"Don't be absurd, my mark doesn't affect anything until the time comes. I'm still not convinced you're who you appear to be, Demyx. You appear and disappear whenever you want, you've never been seen in Riku's company, and even then I suspect the two of you are in collusion with each other."

"Well, he threatened me," Demyx lied defensively. "He told me he'd destroy me again if I didn't cooperate. I know a bit, but he didn't really tell me anything. I just know the portal is still somewhere in the city beneath, and that he seems to think he needs you two present before he can convince Kingdom Hearts to cooperate."

_-I do?-_

_-Of course you do,-_ Sora replied. _-Naminé told me that. I'm sure I passed that on to you.-_

_-That could be a bit inconvenient,-_ Riku murmured.

"We have an edge there then, assuming that's not misinformation," Ventus reasoned. "If he needs us, he can't make use of it. That means we can take the time to figure out where and meet him on our terms. Get your Nobodies out into the city, Xemnas. I want to know where that portal is as soon as possible, and if you can't find it before I find Saïx you'll be joining him in oblivion. I don't suppose Riku told you anything about that, did he?"

"Saïx? No," Demyx replied. "Would you mind if I went back to searching for the portal too? You know I'm the best at it."

Ventus looked thoughtfully at him, then finally nodded. "Good to see your loyalties returning. You don't work for Riku anymore, hear? And maybe if I find out Saïx has been destroyed, I'll give you the honour of replacing him as one of the vessels. Just in case Riku still has a few aces up his sleeve we don't know about."


	83. Round One

Demyx didn't return to the portal, or anywhere in Dark City, instead using a portal of their own to find Aqua – who was busy hovering over Sora's Replica while he steered the Gummi Ship through what appeared to be a particularly rocky expanse.

"Don't appear out of nowhere like that!" Donald complained.

"Soon as you tell us how to announce ourselves in advance," Demyx replied. "We have a slight problem, and you guys are the only people we can safely ask for input."

"Advice is free," Aqua told him. "What's the problem?"

"We need Ventus and Xemnas to be cooperative in order to use Kingdom Hearts. Sora told us he met Naminé, and she said anyone who's contributed to Kingdom Hearts has to be present, not to mention willing to agree. Somehow I don't think they'll be willing to work on our terms."

"Sounds like we might need your plan earlier, girly," Axel said to Aqua. "Will it work on Ventus too?"

"I asked you not to call me that," she said absently. "As for Ven, I don't know."

"What idea's this?" Demyx asked.

"Xemnas is formed from Xehanort, who was in turn formed from Terra's body and heart and Master Xehanort's mind overruling Terra's. We know Nobodies reappear where they became Nobodies after being destroyed, and Zexion confirmed that Ansem's labs in Radiant Garden are the place for Xemnas and his Heartless. If you destroy him, we can pick up Xehanort – he won't be firing on all thrusters immediately after that, so that's our chance."

"That doesn't exactly help though."

"Just listen will you? I'm getting to that. I learned a lot in the dark realm, and figured out more. I can put him to sleep and enable someone to dive into their unified mind and heart, a kind of special world created from it. If Master Xehanort can be defeated in there, Terra will be free to return."

"And in theory, if it'll work on Ventus, you'll be able to push out Vanitas," Zexion finished. "But he said he'd destroyed Ventus in that fight."

"That's why I can't be certain it'll work," Aqua nodded. "There may not be enough of the real Ven left."

_-Out of the way a moment, Demyx,-_ Riku said. _-I think I've got the answer.-_

"Riku has an idea," Demyx said aloud. "I'm just handing over to him."

Riku didn't bother to change form, except enough so he'd sound like himself.

"The three of us have all talked to Ventus at some point, and I think he's given us the answer himself. He told me that when Ventus gave his heart to Peter Pan, Vanitas' one was taken too – because they were both the same heart really. Pan kept them safe, then Vanitas defeated Ventus and tricked everyone, but their hearts were still intact."

"Of course!" Aqua exclaimed, snapping her fingers. "He might have got rid of Ven, but he couldn't destroy Ven's heart without losing his own too, so when he retrieved his-"

"He got Ventus's too. Think that'd be enough?" Riku asked.

"I might just do it. Brilliant, Riku. And it fits in perfectly. We're on course for the World that Never Was, but Radiant Garden is along the way. We'll stop by there and wait for Xehanort to show up. I guarantee he won't wake up too soon – no one wakes up from my sleep spells until I want them to."

"That leaves Ventus though," Riku said. "He knows I've stolen the portal by now, and that Kingdom Hearts is just a hair away from being complete. If he finds me I'm going to have to fight him."

"If that's what it takes. The spell you need to dive into him is too complex for anyone else to weave. Keep him out of action as long as you can, Riku. Make him chase you, lay down false trails – whatever it takes. And remember – we have an advantage. Once Xemnas is out of action, Ventus needs us to be present and cooperative too."

"Hadn't thought of that," he conceded. "Thanks for the help. We owe you for this."

"Nonsense. It's what friends do for each other," Axel said.

"Get going," Sora told him, not looking up from the controls. "We arrive in Radiant Garden in a few minutes. Sooner you deal with Xemnas the sooner we can get on the road to join you."

Riku handed back to Demyx, remembering to change the voice back along the way, then left the same way they'd come, heading right for the portal first.

"We'll have to move quickly," Demyx said. "Take him out as soon as possible."

_-We know where he is, or at least where he should be. If he's not in the castle I'll have the Heartless out in force to find him.-_

"I think we'll want to do that anyway. We need to know where he is, what he's doing, everything. We may need to lure him into a trap, but whatever we do it's going to have to be on our terms, in a place of our choosing."

_-Memory Skyscraper,-_ Sora suggested. _-Its not far from the castle. Depending on what the Heartless say though.-_

"Riku?"

_-Be patient, I'm working as fast as they can,-_ he answered irritably. _-Dark City is a big place. He's not in the castle, though Ventus is. He's in a right mood, I can tell you. I think you might have irritated him a bit.-_

"Never mind him right now, where's Xemnas?"

_-For heaven's sake, will you just wait a few minutes? There are Nobodies flocking up everywhere like migrating birds, and they're all after the Heartless. It's making it hard to get anything. He's not at any of the old portals at least, they're all clear. The one I tampered with looks like it exploded to be honest with you. Glad I wasn't here when that happened, it must have made a hell of a noise.-_

"Riku!"

_-Got him. Opposite side of the city to us. I've got every Heartless I can spare leading him away, but he's using my body's real appearance and his Keyblade, and his Keyblade is empowering the Nobodies. They're tearing through the Heartless as if they're not even there. Better move quickly.-_

"You take control, Riku. You know where and you'll have to fight him – unless Sora wants a piece of him."

_-Take him,-_ Sora said flatly. _-_I_ want Vanitas.-_

"Whatever you say," Riku replied, taking over and changing to his own appearance. "Take us _there_," he told the empty air, bringing the two Keyblades to hand."

_-Idea, just occurring,-_ Demyx said as they stepped though. _-That Keyblade – it's the one Ansem gave you, right? And he said it'd release anyone's heart?-_

"Unlock, not release," Riku muttered, stepping out on a street not far from where Xemnas was fighting. The sounds of that battle were faint but coming ever closer. "We might be able to evict him from my old body, maybe even from Terra's, but that might not destroy him. Let's keep to the tried and tested."

Riku set himself, touching on the Heartless to bring them along a route that would lead to him, then told them to keep clear of what happened afterwards. With any luck, Xemnas would continue to pursue them, turn a corner and be confronted by Riku himself bearing down on him.

Sora had an idea he passed to Riku without saying a word. Riku stifled a laugh, flattening himself against one wall and holding one Keyblade ready to swing out. Several Nobodies came into view, closely followed by a few Heartless, then judging the distance by the sound of Xemnas' Keyblade, Riku waited until he was practically right on top of him and swung.

He was rewarded with a dull 'ugh' as Xemnas was knocked back, his Keyblade skittering across the wet road.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here," Riku said, adopting a condescending tone. "A little thief, playing in the darkness. Searching for something, are we? A portal, maybe?"

"What have you done with it, Riku?" he demanded.

"You don't seriously expect me to tell you that do you? The portal is mine, and with it Kingdom Hearts."

"Doesn't that make _you_ the thief here? I made that portal, I designed it. You took it from me."

"For the greater good," Riku said. "Because what I'm going to do is far more selfless than anything you or Ventus would ever have done. It'll go some way to undoing the damage you've done, restoring the lives you've disrupted. Fixing all the things you've broken. You however... you're the Nobody of Xemnas, who stole Terra's body, and you stand there looking like me, having stolen mine and forced me into this Replica body. I make that two thefts to one, Xemnas."

"So what? You're going to punish me for it?" he snorted derisively. "You? It took you months just to find out what I'd done, and still you never knew how much we knew about you – you and Sora, both stuck together."

"Punish? Don't be absurd. You're an obstacle, and I'm going to remove you."

"But your body-"

"What about it? You think the fact that you stole it will give you any protection? Guess again, Xemnas. Form up!" he snapped to the assembled Heartless. "Get those Nobodies out of here and give us an arena!"

Xemnas glared at him, getting back to his feet at last. "Out," he hissed at the Nobodies. "This is between me and him. Find that portal, and if you find it tell Ventus."

There was a rush of noise as the Nobodies and Heartless fought to obey their respective commands in short order, a number of Nobodies lost but most escaping. The Heartless stacked up, blocking off all the exits of the intersection they were at.

"You know something Xemnas?" Riku said as they started to circle each other. "I never had any loyalty to you. I had to persuade the King to go along with my idea – infiltrate the Organization and bring it down from within. Never had any intentions of stealing Kingdom Hearts until I realised I could do far better things with it than you."

"It changes nothing," Xemnas answered. "You kept things from me, that much I knew from the start. I knew you were keeping in contact with others, but had no evidence. I knew you were the one leaking information, the weak link in the chain?"

"Weak link? Your members plotted and conspired against you, only a handful ever loyal to you, and you call _me_ the weak link?"

"What would you have me call you – a traitor? A fake?"

"I am _not_ a fake!" Riku growled, launching himself for Xemnas. The Nobody easily evaded the view, leaving them circling again. They were back ready for battle again.


	84. Endgame's Entree

Xemnas had definitely been keeping in practice. Even with Demyx providing objective advice, most of their attacks found nothing but empty air. Riku kept his eyes on his opponent, never once letting him out of his sight.

Having two Keyblades, and the experience needed to wield them both competently, meant they were ready to intercept most any attack, Xemnas moved with an infuriating swiftness that negated the possibility of defending on one and attacking on the other.

The surrounding Heartless, though pushing against the command constantly, looked on as a sea of balefully glowing yellow eyes. It was tempting to pull them into this, but he held his command over them.

Sora wordlessly took over from Riku after a single thought let him know what he had in mind. Xemnas noticed no difference – their body remained the same – but Sora was ready for that. Riku's more conservative, defensive approach was rapidly discarded as Sora took a more offensive route, laying out long strings of strikes that Xemnas was hard-pressed to keep avoiding or blocking. Several times Sora managed to cut through the defences to catch him out.

Xemnas responded by drawing back from them, discarding his own Keyblade for a field of blue bolts shot toward them. Demyx was the one to take over this time, quickly marshalling the ever-present rainfall, saturated ground and all the standing water under his command. The water rose up to meet the bolts, causing them to shatter over the water's surface as they were diverted easily around them.

He kept Riku's Keyblades in hand, not daring to disarm himself of them. They were not his weapon of choice, but they would be more effective than his sitar by far. Both Sora and Riku were the ones giving a steady stream of advice, sometimes conflicting, coming to his aid as he made his way through the streaming water for Xemnas again.

The Nobody struck back, not with Keyblade or more bolts but with glowing ethereal blades that seemed to be mere extensions of his arms, floating beyond and reacting to subtle movements of his hands. The blades sliced through the water and caught them unawares, sending them splashing to the ground.

Demyx rallied quickly, causing a sudden geyser of water to shoot up and keep Xemnas from them while he scrambled back up. The water was drawn in and around them again, altered further so that any outside watcher would see only a distorted view and many refracted images – only one of which the real one. Several times Xemnas' blades cut through an image only to find nothing, followed by a distorted expletive – and further expletives followed whenever Demyx darted out of the protective dome of water in just the right place to catch Xemnas out, leaving only enough time for a few blows before he had to retreat back in again.

"I think we're going to have to go with my plan, boys," he breathed quietly, watching Xemnas cautiously. "If I hand back to either of you, all this will dissolve. You don't have my control over the water. But as long as I'm in control, I don't have the experience I need with the Keyblades to do enough."

_-I don't think it'll work,-_ Sora's voice answered. _-I've been thinking about it. If he were Xehanort and we could make sure it touches only Xehanort's heart, not Terra, then maybe. But this is Xemnas, and he's still a Nobody.-_

_-Do you have a better idea?-_ Riku asked. _-We can't keep this up all day. Time is important, remember.-_

None of them said anything for a time. Xemnas attacked again, coming uncomfortably close to striking them this time.

"Mangy son of a three legged donkey!" he snapped at Xemnas.

_-Interesting remark,-_ Sora noted absently. _-I think I can do something about it. Riku's heart is still protecting my own, which is how we can use the corridors safely, and I think some of Demyx helps as he's still technically a Nobody. That means I can safely use the darkness.-_

"You'll lose the water I've got going for us though," Demyx reminded him.

_-Believe me, what I'm thinking of will more than make up for it. I'll have to discard Aqua's Keyblade though – it's too far aligned with the light for what I have in mind. The Keyblade of People's Hearts though, that was created by Xehanort's Heartless, and that's about as dark as you get without Xemnas' Keyblade. It's perfect for this.-_

_-Are you sure about this, Sora?-_ Riku asked.

_-One way to find out. Just make sure we look like me, I'm fairly sure that plays a large part in keeping us safe from the darkness.-_

There was another quiet pause, then the water fell with a roar, soaking them as Demyx handed over to Sora – who altered everything to dry himself out even as he took up his familiar appearance.

Xemnas turned on them in moments, but Sora held out against them. Riku felt the presence of the darkness boosting Sora's reactions, then his strength too as he steadily pushed Xemnas back. One good shove sent Xemnas stumbling away from them.

"You've had your fun," Sora told him. "Now it's _my_ turn. And let me remind you – I'm nowhere near as nice as they were."

"Fool boy – do you really think you can stand against me?" Xemnas demanded.

"Stupid question," Sora shrugged, dismissing Aqua's Keyblade. Following its disappearance, the darkness engulfed his arm in an unreal fire. He pointed to a nearby building with that arm, keeping the Keyblade trained on Xemnas as the top of the structure tore away with a scream of tortured metal. The Heartless closest to it broke Riku's control and fled.

Xemnas lunged for Sora, the ethereal blades already aimed for him. Sora swung the Keyblade swiftly, pulling hard on the darkness and forcing it to do as he wanted. Xemnas smashed head-first into a suddenly materialized dark barrier. A series of quick blows forced him reeling back further as the barrier vanished again.

The chunk of building was loose now, hanging in the air at the response of his free hand. Sora smirked at Xemnas as he recovered, looking back blankly for a moment before he looked up.

"Too slow," Sora said, waving his hand toward Xemnas. The structure headed for him like a shot out of a cannon, trailing a small cloud of debris that had come loose.

Xemnas' voice was briefly heard before the immense crash; "Oh, shi-"

_-Is that it?-_ Demyx asked. _-Did we get him?-_

"What do you take me for, of course we got him."

_-Mind if we make sure, Sora?-_ Riku asked. _-Just set my mind at ease.-_

From underneath the wreckage, something else crashed.

"Bloody hell," Sora breathed. "He couldn't have survived that, could he?"

More crashing followed. Parts of the remains fell away, only small parts at first, then steadily larger chunks. Then the last of the remains slid away, revealing Xemnas rising like the wrath of kings. He still bore Riku's appearance, though he was clearly in bad shape now. The clothes were barely visible for rips and tears, and he had to have been losing blood from at least a dozen places.

"I think I'm going to have to destroy your old body, Riku," Sora muttered, glaring at the apparition.

_-I knew it was going to happen. The Magic Mirror told me so.-_

"Oh good. Then I won't have any problems with this."

Sora took hold of another nearby building the same way he had the first, causing even more Heartless to flee. There were barely a few sounds before Xemnas was running for him, bellowing incoherently with the ethereal blades raised high.

_-Sora, run!-_ Demyx cried. _-I can feel the darkness he's using more than I can yours!-_

"Bugger," Sora muttered, letting go of the building and running, keeping a wary eye out behind him. After a ways he shouted, "I can't keep this up for long guys, he's definitely quicker than I am!"

_-My turn again,-_ Riku said. _-Lets see him deal with me now.-_

Their body shifted again as Riku took over, almost tripping over itself as it became uncertain of how many limbs it had, where and what they were supposed to look like. After a few confused moments it had become a Dragoon Nobody, soaring quickly up.

_-So glad we made time to practice with these forms,-_ Riku remarked.

_-Look again, Riku,-_ Demyx said. _-He's still on our tail.-_

_-Let's see him deal with this then.-_

Riku turned sharply and dived back toward him, keeping tight hold of his Keyblade. Xemnas showed no signs of letting up as he continued to ascend toward them. He kept his aim as close as he could, then at the last moment ducked down just enough to avoid the blades swung for him, slamming bodily into Xemnas, bearing him back down to the ground.

Before they both impacted it, Riku let go and aimed back up, shooting over Xemnas as he crashed to the ground. He turned quickly, already changing again. The resulting Berserker was nowhere near as swift, but it had plentiful strength and Riku had let the change substitute the Keyblade for it's massive claymore.

Xemnas rose again, casting about wildly for his opponent with flecks of darkness surrounding him, a mute showing of what was maintaining him. Too late he caught Riku bearing down on him, the great blade of the Berserker roaring through the air. It slammed into his side, sending him crashing into the nearest building.

Riku didn't stop there. Taking a leaf from Sora, he started on the building itself. Instead of using the darkness he used the massive reserves of strength the Berserker body lent him, smashing aside supports until the entire building was collapsing on top of Xemnas.

As the rubble fell he changing again, this time to a Sniper that swiftly got out of danger, handing on the wall of another nearby building to survey the carnage. He reached out to a number of Heartless, forcing them back into the area to make them dig out Xemnas. If he wasn't gone yet, he'd be relying so heavily on the darkness that he might as well be.

Airborne Heartless blew away the cloud of dust that had risen from the collapsing building as all manner of others started to shift the rubble. There was no sound nor sign of movement from underneath it this time.

Riku dropped back down, returning to a human appearance to watch. The air still reeked of darkness, not yet faded enough to tell if Xemnas was still here.

Several real Nobodies soon joined in, though compared to the Heartless they worked far slower until a contingent of Berserkers showed up. The Nobodies seemed somehow uncomfortable, casting frequent glances toward a certain street.

"Uh-oh," Riku murmured. "Ventus."

_-Where?-_ both Sora and Demyx asked quickly.

"Over there – the road the Nobodies keep looking toward. He's trying to keep out of sight in that... I think it's supposed to be a shop."

Ventus came briefly into view again, peering out from behind a pillar and spotting them looking right at him. That appeared to give him reason to give up hiding, coming out into view. Riku warily headed around the rubble to meet him, keeping his Keyblade to hand.

"What are you doing here?" he called ahead to Ventus. "With them helping me, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're not," he said sourly. "The Nobodies don't like me, but with no one else to answer to they're doing what I tell them."

"Isn't that a shame?" Riku asked without much conviction. "I'm sure I wouldn't mind taking them off your hands." Several Nobodies looked up hopefully.

"Back to work!" Ven snapped at them. "I saw what happened. You and I share a common interest at this point – much as I hate to admit it. I have to know whether you destroyed him or not."

"And if I did?"

"Then I need another vessel," he shrugged. "I won't try and deny it, because I know you know what I'm up to." After a moment he reluctantly added, "You... have my complements on the theft of the portal. If it hadn't been for Demyx telling us, it's entirely possible we'd never have noticed."

"That was the whole idea. You were right, I don't mind telling you. The time I came to Saïx pretending to be you was when I stole it."

"What did you tell him? He was almost scared of me when I saw him next?"

Riku laughed. "I told him to get out there and scout out the scene in person, just like you told him to. I may have mentioned that he wasn't indispensable, and that another vessel could be arranged to replace him while I was at it."

"Huh. Never thought of threatening him like that."

There was a sudden bustle of activity, then a route opened through the temporarily united Heartless and Nobodies.

"No tricks," Riku told Ven, starting to pick his way over the remains. Ventus hesitated for a moment, then followed.

The gathered forces had uncovered not one but two bodies. One was Riku's own, the damage to it clear enough to tell him he'd lost it for good now. The other was Xemnas, still apparently alive, breathing very weakly.

"Let me," Ventus murmured to Riku, pushing past. He laid a hand on the wrist of Riku's old body, then shook his head.

"Though so," Riku sighed. "I suppose it would have been nice to have it back, but I knew it could happen."

Ventus didn't answer, moving to Xemnas. He looked over at Ventus with something that looked like relief and breathed, "I did it. I know where he's put the portal. I almost had it, Ventus. If he'd sprung the trap I left for him, I'd have got it."

"Why didn't you just go and take it?"

"They were watching. They'd have interfered. I needed them out of the way."

"Where is it, Xemnas? Where have the hidden my portal?"

Xemnas tried to push himself up to look around but didn't have the strength. He started to say something, to try to tell him, but the darkness was already gathering to take him back.

Riku glanced up to the skies and to Kingdom Hearts above and somehow, he knew – it was done.

"Doesn't matter where it is now, Ventus. Kingdom Hearts is finished. We just have to decide who'll be the one to control it."


	85. Friendly Enemy

**A/N:** Bit of a filler chapter I know, but it has a few interesting points mentioned. Also this story is nearing its finale, so I'm also preparing for the following one.

As usual, enjoy.

* * *

><p>Ventus looked to the now-completed Kingdom Hearts hanging in the skies, a pale heart with a deep blue aura illuminating the city. He appeared to need longer to assure himself that it really was finished.<p>

"We actually did it," he said. "We actually completed it, Riku."

"You sound surprised."

"The way things went with the Organization, I kinda expected to see them all gone before it happened. I gave them long enough, that's for sure. Xehanort wouldn't have cast out Ansem if I hadn't encouraged him."

"Well it looks like it worked," Riku said. "Now we just have to agree I'm going to use it and-"

"Hold it right there," Ven interrupted. "I thought I made it clear to you I wasn't going to let even you stop me."

"Really? Don't seem to remember that. Fairly sure I told you I was going to use it. Certain of it, in fact. We could argue if you want, even get into a fight instead of coming to some agreement, but it doesn't really matter. Aqua and Mickey are on their way and have a comatose Xehanort with them. We'll have to wait for them to arrive before either of us can do anything."

"Comatose?" Ven asked sharply.

"Well of course. Couldn't take the chance that Xehanort wouldn't cooperate with me. Aqua's got a plan that will evict him and bring back Terra, which means everyone will be on my terms – except for you."

Ventus's expression soured slightly.

"You know, you're really starting to irritate me," he told Riku. "You've stalled and slowed things right up to the last minute – and I can't do anything about it because I need you for that thing to listen to me."

"About time," Riku noted, starting to pick his way back over the rubble. "You lot get out there and look out for Mickey and Aqua," he told the Heartless. "Do _not_ under any circumstances attack them or I'll obliterate you myself. Guide them to me instead."

Ventus, following him, paused and turned to the Nobodies that were still regarding him with thinly veiled dislike and as much fear as they could manage. "Go help them," Ven said firmly. "Riku's threat extends to you, only I'll be the one doing the obliterating when it comes to you lot."

"Or you could do it under my terms and not have to worry about that as long as you cooperate," Riku said without stopping, "In return I'll see if I can persuade Kingdom Hearts to do something for each of you as well."

The Nobodies looked from one to the other, then many variations of thanks and agreements flooded their minds as they turned on Ventus and flocked to his side, following the Heartless. Ventus looked after them for a moment then caught up with Riku.

"Did I tell you you're irritating me?" he said.

"Yes," Riku nodded amiably. "I thought I'd just do it a bit more. I'm sure you appreciate it really."

"I'd appreciate beating you up a lot right now, but I'm not in any position to do that. Not now you've got two damn armies at your command, at least one of which would love to get back at me for how I treated them."

"Isn't that a shame?" he said, dripping insincerity. "I don't suppose you'd care to give in gracefully and just cooperate?"

"What, not offering anything in return like you did the Nobodies?" he demanded ungraciously.

"Oh, there's an offer in it – I leave you the way you are. Might have to persuade Aqua to cooperate and probably Terra too."

"What's the alternative?"

"We do the same thing to you that we've got in mind for Xehanort, except it's you we evict and Ventus that's brought back."

"There's no Ventus to bring back. I told you, I destroyed him."

Riku smiled benignly back at him and said, "Are you sure you got _all_ of him?"

Ventus's look of consternation was priceless.

"Mind telling me something else, since you're tagging along?" Riku asked him. "What you told me before, about the real Ventus's life. How much of that was true?"

"That? That's bothering you?"

"No, I'm just curious and we've got time to kill until the gang gets here, so I figured since we don't seem to be beating each other up, we might as well find something to talk about."

"Fine," Ven sighed. "Most of it was true. I wasn't lying when I said I kept tabs on him. Sometimes he didn't even know I was there, so a lot of it is first-hand observation. Everything before my creation I know is true because we both had the same set of memories before that point. We were identical – except he was light and I was dark. That showed up as the eyes and this dark suit for me."

"You didn't come up with it yourself then?"

"Maybe I did, I don't know. The heart was involved deeply in what Xehanort did, that makes things unpredictable. The rest... well, either I saw it or he told me himself. After I got rid of him it doesn't really matter. I had to pretend to be him, and I didn't like that. He's far too selfless, too nice for his own good, so first I set about acting the part well enough to fool anyone who knew him, then I just started letting my own personality influence his."

"You mean doing the kinds of things he'd never do, like the troublemaker I hear you became in Prankster's Paradise and Twilight Town," Riku said.

"You heard about that, huh? Demyx lied when he said he wasn't a part of you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, we were trying to throw a false lead that way so you wouldn't notice I was hiding behind him. He's listening right now of course, along with Sora. He's the reason I know more than I usually used to."

Ventus nodded, sighing again. "I should have kept a closer eye on you. Xemnas was aware of what you were up for a long time, but I told him to just watch and fake knowing nothing. You were helping, in your own way. Sora too. The problem was, Xemnas couldn't tell me much. He had no idea for a long time that I was Roxas, he just knew that we looked alike. I had to go out of my way to arrange meetings that Roxas had nothing to do with."

"Why not simply tell him who you were?"

"Because everyone thought I was Sora's Nobody. That way, I could keep an eye on Xemnas to make sure he wasn't trying to turn on me without anyone realising I was the one ordering him around. He knew that I had an ear in the Organization, he just didn't know it was me."

"Don't suppose you know what happened to Saïx, do you?" Riku asked.

"When? Today?"

"No, I think Sora's responsible for today. I'll check in with Tron later and see what he says. I was thinking about the time he came back badly injured and I had to cover for him."

"Oh," Ven said. "That. I put in an appearance – as Ventus, I mean, not Roxas – and told him I needed him to look into a world. He argued for a time – you know him, always leaves it up to someone else. Eventually I got him moving and he went to investigate. He got attacked by someone who had an impressive command over fire, far more than Axel manages. I was hoping that he'd bring back enough to make a visit with Heartless worthwhile so I could have his Nobody."

"But it kinda went sour when he attacked, didn't it?"

"Right. Where are we going, Riku?"

"The portal," he shrugged. "You wanted to know where it was, didn't you?"

"It doesn't really matter now, you know."

"So? Besides... you and I might disagree over what we're going to do with Kingdom Hearts, but we've never actually come up against each other directly. I figure I still have at least some friendship with you from before I found you out. Since we're not going to fight and we're both being honest about each others plans, I figure I might as well reveal this bit."

"But not what you're going to do with Xehanort and me," Ven said shrewdly.

"Precautions, you understand."

Ventus sighed again, then laughed. "You know Riku, if I'd had you on my side, you'd have been a brilliant ally. You still have been, getting us both this far, but you've also managed to seize the situation... if your plan works and you bring him back, at least I'll have the consolation of knowing I had a good opponent in you."


	86. Arrivals

"You know, no matter what Aqua tries to do, you and I are probably going to end up fighting each other eventually," Ven said to Riku. The two of them had stopped by the portal for a time to catch up, then headed back up to the castle – if only because it was more central and spacious.

"Probably," Riku agreed. "But that'll come in time. Xehanort is first. Not that I imagine you'll notice much difference."

"You're basing this on the idea that whatever Aqua does is going to work though."

"It will," Riku said calmly. "I trust her. And since I haven't given anything away, I don't think you'll be able to prepare for it in time."

_-Master Aqua has just entered this world,-_ the voice of a Samurai acting as a sentry told them.

"And the King?" Riku asked. "Is he with her?"

_-Not as yet. We are remaining aware for his arrival.-_

Ventus looked intrigued. "I thought you said they were travelling together."

"No, I just said they were both on their way here," Riku replied. "You know Mickey. He tends to turn up when and where he wants."

"Well he is the King, Riku. It's to be expected."

They lapsed into silence again, both sat watching Kingdom Hearts. Occasionally a heart would stream up to join it, though in its completed state it needed no more.

_-I hope your trust in Aqua is well founded, Riku,-_ Demyx said in the silent halls of their minds. _-You don't know exactly what she's going to do.-_

_-Nonsense,-_ he replied. _-She told us she was going to put Xehanort to sleep so we could enter their minds and separate them. We're doing the same thing for Ventus, so it stands to reason she'll put him to sleep as well.-_

After a time, Ventus sighed and leaned forward slightly, resting his hands atop Void Gear and his chin on the hands.

"It's not the same," he said, almost to himself.

"What isn't?" Riku asked.

"Kingdom Hearts. Xehanort knew how to summon the real thing from its concealment. Just before he and Terra fought, while I was still making sure Aqua wouldn't get involved, he called it forth. You must have seen that if Maleficent showed you what happened."

"I only got the bits revealing the truth about you, same as Aqua showed us," Riku replied. "You might as well tell the story anyway."

"Probably about time I told someone. The Kingdom Hearts he summoned, the real thing that otherwise hides behind the Door to Darkness and Door to Light... it didn't look like that," he nodded to their Kingdom Hearts. "Ours is a pale yellow with a blue aura. The one I saw back then was different, it didn't just glow blue, it was blue. I wonder if there's any significance to that?"

"Maybe because ours is formed directly from peoples hearts, where the real one is formed from the hearts of worlds?" Riku suggested.

"But the hearts of worlds are formed from peoples hearts, Riku. So the real thing is ultimately formed from the same thing. What's the difference then?"

"We bypassed the middle step – the worlds. Maybe to you and I it doesn't make any difference, but to Kingdom Hearts it's more important."

"What I'm doing... it might not work then. The real one might try to intervene. One Kingdom Hearts against another... who knows what could happen then? I know, if you let me," he added quickly. "I haven't forgotten."

_-Master Aqua has entered the castle,-_ the sentry Nobody reported. _-We continue to guide her here. There remains no sign of the King.-_

"What _is_ he doing?" Riku asked irritably. "He should know we need him here too."

"Being a King is no easy thing, Riku. Mickey doesn't just have the two Disney worlds to worry about but the Lanes Between as well. He kinda appointed himself the protector of the world order and all that."

"Someone ought to teach him what delegation means then. Even I know how to do that."

"Yeah, I got to see when you took over from Saïx," Ventus chuckled. "You know Xaldin wanted me to confront you to try and get you to admit giving Saïx the push? He was convinced you'd arranged it."

"I knew he suspected, I just didn't really do anything about it," Riku shrugged. "I couldn't be bothered, to tell you the truth. Xemnas at least appeared to trust me to handle things, and I had no idea you were doing your undercover boss thing."

"Undercover boss," Ven laughed. "I like it."

The sound of the two sentry Samurais drawing their blades came to them.

"Would one of you boys mind doing something about this?"

They both turned to see Ansem the Wise, aside from losing the bandages concealing his appearance still looking as he had as DiZ, held back by the Samurais.

"Your doing?" Ven asked Riku.

"Kinda. I asked him to come up with a backup plan in case I couldn't have Kingdom Hearts. Let him through," he told the Nobodies. "He's a friend."

"Your resourcefulness never ceases to surprise me Riku," Ven murmured. "I had no idea about this. Why did no one tell me he arrived?"

"I came by a dark corridor," Ansem explained, setting up his device nearby. "I thought that if anyone were paying attention, they would overlook one more use of darkness. Your friends are all aligned with the light, you see."

"And what does this... thing do?"

"This?" Ansem asked. "Honestly, I cannot say for sure. I have only theories, and no guarantees they will work – except perhaps for putting this Kingdom Hearts you created beyond the reach of all."

"Right, but what does it do?" he persisted.

"Should Riku give me the sign, or should I see that Kingdom Hearts has fallen into hands not suited to handle it, it will attempt to encode the entirety of it into data. The process of encoding hearts however is incalculable, and despite my efforts I doubt I can hold much of it. Enough that its power will be severely curtailed, at least." He paused, sighting it, then added, "I hope."

Ventus looked to Riku.

"Well, you know what I think," Riku replied. "If I can't have it, then neither can anyone else."

"This is starting to look really unfair," he complained. "Not only have I lost Saïx and Xemnas, but I'm about to lose Xehanort as well, and even if I manage to overcome whatever you have in mind for me, you'll practically destroy Kingdom Hearts anyway."

"You're welcome," Riku smirked. "Still want to stick to your ideals? We don't have cookies on our side, but I'm sure I could get some."

"Don't think for a moment I'm not tempted," Ventus said. "I'm just determined to see this through. I started it when I overruled the old codger eleven years ago, and I'm going to finish it. Even if finishing it means I lose. At least I'll have tried."

"Hey, Ansem," Riku said. "I don't suppose you stopped by your lab before you came here did you?"

"No. I've been hiding out in various places while I worked on this," he answered. "Why do you ask?"

"Just wondered if you'd talked to Tron lately. Sora tricked Saïx into going into the computer like I did, asking Score to talk to Tron and see if he could trap him there before the portal back closed. I don't reckon Tron would do that myself, but no one's had the chance to go and check up on things. No offence Ventus, but I don't feel entirely safe leaving you here on your own."

"I'll go," Ansem said. "This hardly needs my attention until the time comes, and it won't take long." He turned and opened a corridor, departing.

"He's not a bad guy," Ventus mused. "Feels guilty because he thinks he's in some way responsible for Xehanort wanting to seek out Kingdom Hearts. Wonder if I should tell him it's my fault. I've considered it many times, like when..." he trailed off, his eyes suddenly looking vacant as he slowly toppled back. Riku looked from him to the stairs where Aqua stood, one hand outstretched.

"Sorry," she said. "Did you really want to hear the rest?"

Riku looked back to the comatose Ventus.

"Nah. You've got Xehanort?"

"Axel and Zexion are carrying him up. They're a bit behind because he's kinda heavy, and I left Donald, Goofy and Kairi with them in case they got attacked. Mickey here yet?"

"Not yet," Riku shook his head. "I hope he'll be here before time, otherwise one of these two might wake up."

"No one wakes up from my sleep spells unless I want them to," Aqua said firmly. "What's that thing?"

"Belongs to Ansem the Wise. It's a last resort measure in case we can't hold on to Kingdom Hearts. Any more questions?"

Aqua thought about it for a few moments. "How about giving me a few minutes rest? I haven't stopped since Sora arranged to get me out of the Realm of Darkness. Not that I mind, don't get me wrong – it's better than wandering aimlessly in there. I just want to have a decent night's sleep without having to worry about Heartless or darkness or some heart-shaped moon."

"Just bear with us a little longer and you'll have all the time you want," Riku promised.

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** Yes, I know, more filler. I don't like skipping over long periods of time where there's things that happen. Like Aqua and Ansem's arrival. More interesting stuff resumes next chapter.

Probably.


	87. Into the Mind's Eye

The two recumbent and persistent opponents lay sprawled out side by side on the floor of the Altar of Naught in magically enforced sleep. Apparently Xehanort, even disoriented after his return, had managed to put up a considerable fight before they'd finally managed to subdue him again. Perhaps more concerning was that Aqua said he'd appeared to have the complete lexicon of memories from Ansem, Xemnas and even his prior incarnation as Master Xehanort. Terra may have been in there somewhere, but outside Xehanort was in full bloom.

Now Aqua was weaving the spell that would allow some few of them to enter what she called Terra's mindscape, like a landscape but formed from the inhabiting mind – or minds, in this case. The magic was not strong enough to send more than four, and as the caster she herself could not accompany them.

"Did we miss anything interesting?" Axel asked while magic flowed in strange forms around her.

"Not really," Riku replied. "Beat up Xemnas of course, that took some doing. Ventus lent a reluctant hand to make sure he was actually gone. I showed him where the portal was because we'd completed Kingdom Hearts and didn't need the portal any more."

"Did you fight him?" Sora asked eagerly.

"Why is that your solution to everything?" Zexion sighed.

"Hey, don't knock it, it usually works."

_-I see my Replica is developing a personality of his own...-_ the real Sora observed dryly. It didn't sound like he approved of the kind of personality that was emerging.

"I didn't fight him, no," Riku answered. "We just talked. I figured if I had him distracted when Aqua got here, there wouldn't be any point."

"Liar," Kairi said, watching Aqua intently. "I know you – both of you. You made that up just now. I wonder if Aqua would consider teaching me a bit of magic," she said thoughtfully. "You know some, don't you Riku?"  
>"Not me. Demyx does, but Sora and I never got around to it."<p>

"That could be a serious oversight," Zexion observed. "Both of them have considerable power to them, no doubt some of it magic in origin. Perhaps I should go with you."

"Hey, what about me?" Donald demanded. "There are two magicians here!"

"You can come with me when I pay a call on Ventus," Riku told him. "So stop arguing."

"There's an idea," Axel said to Zexion. "You and I go with him for Xehanort, since he's responsible for what happened to us. Then we let Donald and Goofy go with him for Ventus."

"And what about me?" Kairi asked.

_-The King has entered the castle,-_ a Nobody voice sounded

"And him too?" she added.

"About time too," Riku sighed. "Some of you Nobodies guide him here. I'd like to talk to him before we have to see what Xehanort's done to Terra's mind."

"No time," Aqua interjected. "It's ready, but it won't stay stable for long. All those going gather round Riku, all those not, get behind me. Next stop, Terra's mindscape."

"Sure there's no room for more?" Donald asked her.

"Normally the spell would take six, but because of Demyx and Sora inside Riku, he counts as three," she told him through gritted teeth. "Move people, this spell won't last forever!"

Zexion and Axel quickly moved to join him, then after a moments hesitation and a disappointed look on Donald's face, Riku gestured for Sora's Replica to join them too.

"Next time," he reminded Donald, then to Aqua, "Whenever you're ready."

"Transference!" she barked the spell, causing magic to flare up in a multicoloured storm around them. Everything become silhouettes against it except for the four of them. Steadily they vanished, the last thing to vanish being the white floor they stood on, fading away leaving them stood on apparently insubstantial air.

Something that might have been wind howled around outside, strange shapes flickering over the magic. There was the sound of rushing water instead for a few moments, then a more dusty sound, followed by the clear sounds of battle. Distorted voices flickered in and out of audibility, no one of them clear enough to understand more than a few displaced words, their voices too far distorted to recognise.

One voice cut through, momentarily silencing the other sounds around. It was quiet, but made itself heard clearly over all others.

"Bring this one back to the light," it told them in gentle but firm tones.

_-Who...?- _Sora asked, echoing the thoughts all of them were having.

_-I know who,-_ Demyx murmured, sounding awed. _-The sly old dog. He saw what was happening and moved to protect Terra.-_

_-Who exactly?- _Riku asked.

"Eraqus." It was Demyx's voice, but it now came from nearby. "Hey, what? How-"

"The mindscape," Zexion cut him off, examining Demyx and the newly appeared second Sora. "I would assume in the circumstances it allows you to be present individually, while also remaining a part of Riku."

"Really? Now that's interesting. I wonder-" _-Can you still hear me if I talk like this?-_

"Yeah, I heard that," Riku nodded. "Now how are we going to tell you two apart?" he asked the two Sora's.

"No problem," one said. "I reckon..." he concentrated for a moment, then shifted and changed the same way Riku did. Where before he had Sora's usual brown hair he exchanged it instead for a similar silver to Riku's own. Perhaps in response to his willingness to utilize the darkness, he changed the clothes to darker colours, altering their design slightly. "No offence to you," he said to his Replica. "But I always thought you looked kinda ridiculous in that getup. Since technically I'm the original Riku, I've never had to wear it before – except while I was with him, of course," he nodded to Riku.

"At least you can change it," the Replica said. "Tried to get Ventus to let me stop by a shop while I was with him, but he always found some way to change the subject. Aqua always said we had too much on, so..."

"I think we've arrived," Axel said. "That howling has stopped, anyway."

They all paused to look about. The magic still surrounded them, creating it's own random pattern of chaotic designs. The sound of water came again, gentler, as if playing on a shoreline, then the surrounding magic faded again.

It was a beach. A very familiar beach.

"I think," Riku volunteered after a moment. "We're home. Or at a memory of home."

"It's a memory," the Replica said, pointing back to the mainland. "The old clock tower is still there. That got knocked own when we were just kids remember?"

"Why are we here though?" Sora asked. "'cause it's one of his memories?"

"Most likely," Zexion agreed. "I understand the spell Aqua used. The form of the mindscape is shaped by the mind, or here minds, within. It can take the appearance of a place recalled or be formed to reflect the mind. The rules are likely different here. If we go through a doorway, it could lead to an entirely different memory."

"Like Castle Oblivion," the Replica observed sourly. "You have no idea how much I hated that."

"At least you stayed in the same world on each floor. What now, Riku?"

"We find Xehanort, of course. Or Terra. Perhaps both. I don't know. We find one of them. I don't think we'll find them here, and the boats here were never big enough for more than a couple of people. We'll use the door that leads to the world heart, that should go somewhere."

"If it's here," Sora said. "Terra might not know of it if this is his memory, and Xehanort..." he paused and frowned. "Wait, wasn't there someone called Xehanort that lived on the islands? Didn't he disappear one day?"

"Are we going to talk or are we actually going to move?" Demyx asked, sounding slightly testy. "Only I'd like to do something while I'm separate. Especially since I can still feel their hearts and borrow from them."

"I almost envy him," Axel murmured to Zexion, tagging along after Riku.


	88. Down to Earth

The door to the world's heart was not in the memory of the islands, forcing them to search for an alternative exit. As this was before they had built their small beach shack, this meant the only exits besides taking one of the two small boats were the treehouses.

This had taken them to an almost blindingly white room with thirteen doors scattered around, nine active with a shimmering blue portal in their frames, the remaining four empty. Each one had a small frame beside it with a picture inside.

Riku checked the first warily, examining the picture it displayed, ignoring the pulsing, almost liquid sound of the shimmering portal beside him.

"Someone I don't know," he said. "He seems familiar though. Maybe... How long ago did that Xehanort you were talking about disappear, Sora?"

"I don't remember. I just remember there were people talking about it," he answered.

Riku searched back through both their memories, finding an old, faint memory of the same person after some searching.

"I'm fairly certain it's him, but I can't be sure. What's the next one?" he asked the Demyx, who was looking at the next."

"It's Master Xehanort. Identical to the one I showed you on the Organization's computer." He moved to the next one around, glancing it over. "Xehanort as when he was Ansem's apprentice. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness," he went on, continuing around the rough circle. "Xemnas. Xigbar. Saïx. Hey, this one's got a picture of you, Sora," he said with some surprise, pausing only briefly.

"What?" both the Replica and Sora asked, both going to look. While they looked, Demyx continued around.

"This one's got Jasmine in," Demyx said for the last active portal, then continued to the inactive ones, not saying anything as he glanced into them. "These ones are all blank. I think I know what this is – this is a kind of... representation of the vessels Xemnas and Ventus talked about."

"Then why is this one of me?" the Replica added. "Or him?"

"No, I'm fairly certain it's you," he told his Replica. "We overheard them talking once, I'm sure Ventus said something about having turned you into a vessel unknowingly."

"What now?" Axel asked. "Which one do we go through? Or do we check all of them?"

"We came in for Terra," Zexion said. "Likely the one we want is the apprentice I worked beside. That would be in the right time-frame, though that Xehanort seemed somewhat amnesiac. Perhaps that was just after Xehanort had subdued Terra, and during the fight he'd somehow lost his memories in order to keep control."

"And the others?"

"We can leave them," Riku decided. "The only incarnation or vessel we have to worry about is the one he's inhabiting right now. This is Terra's body, and it's where Xehanort is right now. We evict him from here and he's gone for good. He doesn't have any other body to go to."

"Except mine," said the Replica.

"You're using it, you don't count," Sora told him. "Just fight him if he tries to make a pass for you."

"Well what about Jasmine then? She's unconscious, she can't resist him."

There was a hush for a time before Demyx spoke next.

"Maybe... we should consider the lesser of two evils," he said. "There's the possibility he'll flee to another vessel, we know that. All of these Xehanort incarnations are just other versions of himself, and they're all gone. Xigbar is destroyed, likely Saïx too. That leaves just Jasmine and Sora's Replica, as we know."

"Yeah, your point being?" the Replica asked impatiently.

"He may try to make a pass for Jasmine, but consider that for a moment," Demyx replied. "Who would he rather try to be – a girl known to be a strong-willed Princess, or to try for a possibly lesser struggle to overpower a boy instead? I think it's fairly safe to say he'd try to get you first," he said thoughtfully. "And maybe we should let him. Then we'll have Terra and we'll know where he is. As long as he comes out of the mindscape with us, we can have Aqua put him to sleep again."

"You _want_ me to go along with him?" he demanded. "Are you mad?"

"Actually he has a point," Zexion said. "I recall him when we found him. Very weak, barely conscious. When he did regain consciousness it was as if he was having to learn how to do everything all over again, as if he wasn't used to his own body. Perhaps he'll need to do the same again, and if we prolong the time it takes by forcing him to sleep, we can deal with him at our leisure. We'll have to do something before we command Kingdom Hearts, but perhaps once we've dealt with Ventus too we'll be able to enlighten Jasmine, cutting off his avenue of escape."

"So I'm a trap then," the Replica said flatly. "I want it clearly understood I don't like this. I'll go along with it, I'll even try to trick him into thinking I'm a willing vessel or something, but I don't like it."

"I'll ask Kingdom Hearts if it'll do something nice for you when we get to that point," Riku told him. "So right now, lets go see what's through the Terra-Xehanort portal."

The blue portal made a sucking sound as each of them passed through, ripples passing briefly over what passed for its surface. Each was blinded momentarily as a flash marked their arrival in a darkened Keyblade Graveyard, slight winds causing the dust to rise and fall, given a brief life of its own. Lifeless Keyblades littered the endless barren land around them, seeming to stretch on unbroken in all directions except where tall, weathered crags jutted up. There was no return portal – it was as if they had stepped out from empty air.

Above them hung the blue memory of the true Kingdom Hearts, shining down its gentle light through a gap in the stormy clouds, the only illumination in this place. Dust crunched under their feet, pausing as they ensured all were present. Something about the presence of Kingdom Hearts stilled their tongues, as if to say something were to soil the air.

Something in the distance made a distinctly metal sound, as if someone was beating a metal plate. It sounded again, then there was a similar though distinct sound. The sound of two blades clashing.

"They must be fighting again," Demyx said after a moment. "Terra and Xehanort I mean. Either this is the memory of it, or they're still trying to overpower each other."

"I don't think it's a memory," Riku said, leading them toward the sounds of battle. "Look around – no Aqua, no Ventus, no Vanitas, not even the King. We know all of them were present."

"Then it's them. We picked the right portal to go through."

"Why are we walking?" Zexion asked. "We can get a better view from above and move quicker. Ideally we want to help Terra as soon as possible, right?"

"I wish you'd said something sooner," Axel grumbled. "I've got dust filling my boots – and other things besides."

"I never said it'd do something about the dust, Axel – just get us around quicker."

"Just do it will you?" Riku sighed, signalling a halt. "I think we'll want to aim up there," he pointed to one distant and far taller stone pillar. "I keep seeing flashes of light from up there, and that's where the sound is coming from."

Zexion consulted the ever-present lexicon, weaving the fingers of his free hands to draw the symbols in the air as he read the words out. When he snapped the tome closed, the ground around them solidified into a glowing blue disk.

They waited for a moment, and Zexion frowned.

"Isn't it supposed to rise up like it did last time?" the Replica asked.

"Of course. I'm sure I did it right. Up," he commanded the disk. Something rumbled slightly underneath, but nothing happened. The lexicon was reopened and consulted again, then Zexion sighed. "One mispronunciation, that's all."

"Can you fix it?" Riku asked.

"Better," he replied, then he commanded the disk again. "Down." The disk started to rise up. Zexion got a number of questioning looks. "The spell places the disk in regards to the caster and certain parts of the spell. One might require it to be created a specific way. The words I mispronounced simply caused it to be placed upside-down. Down a bit quicker, and forward. Backward," he corrected himself quickly as the disk started to move away from their intended target.

As they rose they got a better view of the barren land, stretching away to reveal rough terrain that reminded Riku a great deal of the outlands in Tron's world, only without the sources of water. Nothing grew here in this wasteland except possibly Keyblades, and even they looked as if they had simply been discarded here.

When they drew level with the rock pillar ahead they saw the battle raging. A figure wearing battered and worn armour, wielding a long Keyblade in similar colours to the surrounding landscape, broken only by the blue handle.

Opposite him, lashing out with the Keyblade Xemnas had lent Riku and then taken back, stood Master Xehanort. Though he stood with a slight hunch and wielded his Keyblade almost negligently he remained spry and struck out with a devastating speed that the armoured Terra was hard-pressed to fend off.

The two hurled magic at each other when the distances between them grew too great to strike out, ripping up the earth into great spikes, creating white-hot meteors come crashing down out of the skies, even throwing up rocks from other parts of the world to create minor rock showers that Zexion had to avoid by swiftly barking commands out to the disk.

Neither of them noticed the approaching group, both being too far engrossed in their battle with each other, never giving up an inch. They were locked in a standoff, either avoiding or countering the spells with the same spells or intercepting the strikes their Keyblades made. Xehanort appeared to catch Terra's armour occasionally, but somehow he simply ignored the blow.

"Anyone other than Zexion got some magic on them?" Riku murmured as if they could hear him.

"You know I've always got some fire to hand," Axel asked, holding out a flame dancing in the palm of his hand.

"I've got some too," the Replica said. "Donald taught me a bit. I'm not very good at it, and I only know a few basic spells, but I know how it's done." He squinted toward the fight, then added, "But they won't reach far enough yet. Have to be closer. Probably enough that they'll notice us."

"What've you got in mind?" Sora asked.

"I'm thinking we need to get involved without actually tipping them off that we're here just yet," Riku answered. "If we hit Xehanort with something it'll catch him off guard and Terra will be able to make use of that. That'll be our chance to get on the ground and help out. Sora – the Replica Sora that is – if you've got a healing spell, use it on Terra. He likely needs it. Demyx, remember that water barrier-"

"Won't work," Demyx cut in. "I need some water around to work with for that kind of thing. I can create some if I need, but it uses magic, and there's only so much of that I have."

Riku glanced up to Kingdom Hearts above and said, "You might be a memory, but maybe you still have some power here. If it's not too much trouble, would you mind giving us a nice downpour?"

"Why don't you just ask Zexion to do that?" Axel asked.

"Because it's illusory water Axel," Zexion sighed. "You can't control fire I create for the same reason. Go on, Riku. Anything else?"

"Well, unless it heard me, the rest of us are just going to have to support Terra however we can. I'd be careful about using the darkness, this is Terra's mind and we don't want to risk harming it. Any objections gentlemen?" He gave them a few moments to see if they'd reply, then said, "Full speed ahead then Zexion, if you wouldn't mind."


	89. Gone in the Wind

**A/N: **Right, back from a kind of essential break with a double-length chapter for you. Normal story updates resume tomorrow, of course.

Enjoy.

* * *

><p>Ventus reached out. It was dark, but he was the light half. What was left of him, anyway.<p>

Someone had put Vanitas to sleep, a forced sleep he hadn't been expecting. Natural sleep had never left him any openings, but this was different.

He reached out again, searching. He was here somewhere. Too strong to fight even a mental battle with, but certainly not expecting anything else now. He paused to regain his strength once again, then reached out one more time.

This time he scored. There was the momentary sense of a darkness that was deeper than what he saw, if whatever he was seeing really existed at all. If it did, it was too dark to see anything by. Even his own light gave no illumination.

Ventus gathered himself and struck out at the unwary darkness. A sense of shock came back, then sound and sight came to him in a sudden burst. It was a cavern, dark and damp. Vanitas stood nearby, looking as if someone had hit him hard and he'd only just recovered from it.

"You've lost," Ventus told him weakly, struggling just to remain standing. He staggered toward a nearby stalactite for support, only for Vanitas to frown slightly and cause it to disappear. He collapsed to the ground, but pushed himself back up to stare at his dark half defiantly.

"You're a troublesome one," Vanitas said. "I thought I'd got rid of you. But Riku was right... I must have missed some part of you. Where did you hide, Ventus?"

"I won't tell you anything," he breathed viciously. "Not this time. Riku's coming for you Vanitas, and this time you won't be able to stop him. You've lost," he repeated.

Vanitas kicked out the arm he was supporting himself on, then kicked him across the cave floor again.

"He has to get here first, wherever here is," Vanitas hissed. "And by that time, it'll be too late for you. I have all the time I need to get rid of you once and for all, and if you're gone-"

"You can't get rid of me," he interrupted.

"What? Don't be absurd. Of course I can."

"No. You can't. This is our heart. You've corrupted so much of it, but it's still ours."

"What does that have to do with it?" Vanitas demanded harshly. "Tell me!"

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" Ventus grinned. "You're still too slow on the uptake even after ten years. You can beat me, hurt me, do whatever you want – you'll never be able to destroy me for good until you figure out my last secret. This time, I've got you."

"You're nothing!" Vanitas raged, kicking him away again. Ventus made no move to protect himself. It was all in his mind, he told himself – it wasn't real. He might be harmed here, but it wouldn't carry over once Riku got here.

If he got here.

* * *

><p>Riku was having his own share of troubles. The initial distraction had worked well enough to give Terra the upper hand briefly, but by the time they had landed Xehanort had adapted quickly. Instead of aiming every strike for Terra's armour, he broadened his range to affect the entire rocky plateau, forcing them to scatter every time they tried to regroup. Any attempt at a concerted strike quickly fell apart as he sent shockwaves into the ground, driving up short-lived rocky thorns that barred progress and tore at anything unfortunate enough to get in their way. Terra had said nothing at all, curiously making no sound but for the clatter of his armour as it moved. It was as if he had been silenced somehow.<p>

_-Can you two still hear me?-_ Riku called out mentally.

_-Reading you loud and clear, Riku,-_ Sora's voice came back almost immediately.

_-Same here,-_ Demyx added. _-I'm in a bad position here though. I can only do so much with this Sitar. One of you boys want to lend me a Keyblade again?-_

_-We don't have one to spare right now,-_ Sora told him. _-We have to do something, Riku.-_

_-I know. Demyx, can you get to Zexion?-_

_-I can try, but if he thinks we're up to something he'll send more magic our way.-_

_-Don't look threatening if you can help it then,-_ Riku advised. _-I need to know what we can do in here even if we're separate like this, and he knows the spell better. He'll be able to answer my questions better.-_

_-Like I said, I can try. Try to stay in one piece while I'm busy, will you?-_

_-As if we'd do anything else,-_ Sora replied, on the far side of the rock ducking under Xehanort's thrown Keyblade. His back was to Riku, who darted in with his own Keyblade already swinging, but Xehanort whipped around swiftly, already calling his Keyblade back to hand. Riku rolled low under the incoming strike, forced to discard his Keyblade lest it harm him instead. It was called back as he rose again clear of Xehanort's first strike, but he'd turned again with enough speed and momentum that his Keyblade struck Riku in the chest, sending him flying back. For an old man, he was keeping on top of the lot of them too easily!

Axel slung fire at an incoming meteor, shattering it into a stinging rain of pebbles, then sent more toward Xehanort, covering Demyx behind him as he held his sitar over his head to try to protect himself. Zexion wasn't far away, but was engrossed in what appeared to be a particularly lengthy spell. One hand glowed various colours as he chanted away, at least.

Xehanort sent another series of shockwaves out, sending both Sora and his Replica diving aside. The Replica got snagged on one thorn and dragged away toward the edge, managing to free himself from it only to have to grab hold of the edge of the plateau or fall. Axel was also sent flying, though he fared better, and had it not been for Demyx interrupting Zexion and taking him crashing to the ground, they both would have met a similar fate.

Terra ignored this, leaping easily over the shockwaves that came his way and raising his giant Keyblade, sending a shockwave of his own ripping through the ground. Xehanort evaded it with similar ease.

Riku backed out of the main battle, watching as Sora attempted to help his Replica.

_-Is he alright?-_ he threw the thought at Demyx.

_-A bit shaken, a bit battered,-_ he thought back with the impression of a mental shrug. _-But we've got a problem, Riku. Someone has to protect him, and I can't concentrate on being messenger-boy and that at the same time.-_

_-Ask him if he's got any ideas to deal with that first then. I'm safe for the moment, but it doesn't look like I'll be able to reach you two over there.-_

Demyx merely nodded, turning to Zexion. Whatever they said was lost to the sounds of Xehanort's Keyblade scraping over Terra's armour, having caught and edge over Terra while they'd been talking. Terra staggered back slightly under the force, but held his ground until Xehanort struck upwards, lifting Terra up on the tip of his Keyblade.

Sora's Replica was finally dragged up, his expression like a thundercloud. Rather than call back his dropped Keyblade, he instead flicked his wrist and threw a bolt of lightning toward Xehanort, who caught it full in the back and dropped Terra with a crash. As he rose and turned on the Replica, Axel spun, threw both chakrams at him, then launched several more fire spells. The first two lit the chakrams on fire, the remaining ones split into a mass of lesser fireballs that homed in on Xehanort.

He ducked under the chakrams, backing away from the encroaching swarm of fireballs only to have Sora tap his shoulder from behind. Riku couldn't hear what was said, but whatever it was caused Xehanort to look around – and get caught by the fireballs. Sora quickly lashed out with his Keyblade, adding further insult to the injury.

_-Got it!-_ Demyx's voice sounded suddenly, startling him. _-You might not like it though.-_

_-Just tell me Demyx, and hope they can keep him busy,-_ Riku snapped. Xehanort was back on his feet and pushing Sora away, while Terra scraped back to his feet helped by the Replica. The two started to close on Xehanort, who responded with another scattering shockwave.

_-You and I are still linked, and our presences here aren't entirely real,-_ Demyx told him, talking quickly. _-Technically you're the only real one here because you were in control when we entered Terra's mind. If I take that from you, Zexion believes you and I will exchange places – I'll be left there in your body with your Keyblade, and you'll be here in mine with the sitar. It won't affect anything outside though, because outside we can arrange it however we want.-_

_-I'm so happy to hear it, now would you mind doing it so I can talk to him?-_

_-Temper, temper,-_ Demyx said, sounding hurt. There was a momentary unreal pull, a sense of movement, some disorientation, then he found himself beside Zexion, looking out of Demyx's eyes.

"Well?" Zexion asked. "Did it work?"

"Well enough," Riku replied, mentally adding _-Don't get yourself too beat up over there.-_

"What did you need then?" Zexion asked almost casually, as if there was nothing out of the ordinary happening.

"I need to know how much I can do here. What I can draw on from outside. Even if we're separate like this, can I still do whatever I could normally?"

"Theoretically," he replied after a moments' thought. "What did you have in mind?"

"Leaving Demyx with my Keyblade and using my Replica body's ability to change appearance to give us another edge."

"You and Demyx would need to exchange back then," he said. "That's the true body, and the only one which can likely handle that. It may be possible for him and Sora to do it too, but I can't say for sure."

"I'm not going to take the chance. Keep your magic short and simple, will you? Anything that helps." He glanced down at Demyx's sitar in his hands and sighed irritably. "This isn't a weapon at all. How can he get anything done with this.

"What do you think his usual excuse was?" Zexion replied with the faintest hint of a smile.

"Point," he conceded. _-Alright you, I need my body back, but first I'm going to take my Keyblade back. You'll be left holding it when we get back, so make use of it.-_

_-What about you?-_ Sora asked, breaking in on them.

_-I've got other plans,-_ Riku told them. -_Are you clear over there?-_

_-Am right now, but it's cutting it fine. Somehow I've ended up with his attention.-_

_-Leave it to me,-_ Sora said, saying something aloud to his Replica nearby then launching a joint attack between them, both yelling as they headed for Xehanort – who reacted appropriately, taking the bait and getting distracted.

Riku called his Keyblade back to him and nodded across the battlefield to Demyx, who repeated whatever he'd done before to switch them. Once the disorientation passed and he was sure Demyx was getting to grips with his borrowed Keyblade, Riku set about making his first change.

He was taking a chance, he knew. If it caused him to take on too many traits of his destination form, it could be problematic. But he also knew exactly what to do if it worked, forming the clear picture in his mind of the Windstorm Heartless he'd commandeered when dealing with Xaldin and willing the change to take place.

Xehanort noticed and attempted to hurl a great rock toward him. In mid-change he couldn't react, his body wasn't even sure what limbs it had, let alone what to do with them. Fortunately Terra reacted in time, intercepting the rock and slicing it neatly into halves that flew harmless past him.

His body continued to change, growing in size to match the much larger Windstorm. His clothes vanished as it progressed, leaving two taloned feet gripping the earth as his arms were forced upward and into the distinctive green hook-ended wings. Xehanort made another pass for him, but again Terra intervened. Even if he didn't know what was going on, he was acting as a guardian.

Once it was complete Riku shook himself, surveying the field from a higher viewpoint.

_-How does it feel?-_ Sora's voice asked curiously.

_-How does what feel?-_ Riku replied, crouching down in preparation to take off.

_-Being a Heartless.-_

_-It's... different,-_ he answered, pausing to think. _-I'm much closer to the darkness this way.-_

_-I know, I'm making use of it for you. Gotta keep you safe from it still, don't I?-_

_-Just watch yourself, Sora. Mind you don't get any of it on Terra.-_

_-Sure thing. Gonna sit there looking constipated all day, or are you actually going to try flying?-_

Riku didn't bother to answer that except with the typical screech of the Windstorm, pushing off with a leap as he flapped his wings. It was a different kind of flight to any Nobody that had the ability, making him unsteady at first. He recalled how the Windstorm he'd commanded had acted and tried to emulate it as best he could, gaining height.

Xehanort summoned a shower of meteors, most of them centred on him. Riku regarded the nearest one then screeched again, willing the Heartless' native magic to function. With the screech came a blast of air that caused the meteor to change course enough to avoid him, but several more were still going to hit him.

He leaned forward, no longer hovering in the air but gliding on outstretched wings, avoiding the first few by simply staying straight. The next one was right in his path though, forcing him to bank hard to one side. He overdid it at first, almost circling right back round on himself, but then figured out how to use his tail to steady himself, using it as a kind of rudder to aid his flight.

Now he dived down, keeping wary eyes on the still incoming shower of rocks. He felt the Heartless' magic welling up on its own, creating tiny, short-lived eddies around his wings. Another screech caused another meteor to change course, shearing off a piece of the edge but avoiding harming anyone. He came in low, forcing everyone to scatter to avoid getting caught by him.

Xehanort turned to regard him disdainfully, darkness already glowing around his free hand. He pointed it toward Riku, creating a bolt of jagged black lightning that earthed itself in a shield that appeared out of nowhere, only the faintest hint of colour tracing it back to Zexion.

He snapped at Xehanort with the sharp-toothed mouth of the Windstorm, not really expecting to actually get him. Xehanort moved swiftly aside with his Keyblade swinging, catching him in one side with a great flare of pain – he'd picked up the Heartless' weakness to the Keyblade!

Riku wasn't done yet though. As he sailed past he brought the sharp wing-tips down, then throwing the wings back when he missed to knock Xehanort back, soaring back up when he'd gone too far past to have any effect, the others quickly returning to their own attacks.

The pain in his side gave no sign of subsiding. He glanced back to it, finding no mark from the blow, but he still keenly felt it.

_-Get someone to throw a healing spell at me will you?-_ he threw the thought out, not aimed at either of them specifically. There was no response for some time as he circled back around, preparing for another pass.

_-No can do, Riku,-_ Demyx's voice came eventually. _-None of us have any magic left but for Zexion, and he says he doesn't have any healing magic that won't also catch Xehanort. How badly do you need it?-_

_-I'd definitely prefer it right now, because my side feels like it's burning white-hot. Do as much as you can to him while you can, I'm coming in for another go as soon as I get back in range. I don't have the hang of flying just yet.-_

_-You mean you're weak to the Keyblade like that? That shouldn't happen!-_

_-I don't really care whether it should or not right now Demyx, I just know it happened. Watch yourselves!-_ he added, screeching again to hurl a blast of wind magic down at them. The Heartless' magic built up and worked on its own, he only had to point it in the right direction and will it to work. If other magic was like this, he should have learned it before.

Xehanort realised what was happening sooner this time, spotting him coming in once again. He readied his Keyblade once again, not to throw it but to strike him a second time.

_-Obey,-_ his voice cracked in Riku's mind.

_-Never!-_ Riku snarled back, emphasized with a screech that threatened to push Xehanort back. He stood firm in the face of the howling gale and repeated his command.

_-Obey, Heartless. I am your master now.-_

Riku felt something push against his will now. Xehanort was trying to force him to comply, and up in the air he didn't dare change back.

_-Then don't. Remain, and obey me.-_

_-I will not!-_ he pushed back, but it was like trying to push a glacier back. Xehanort's will continued to push back and steadily, unwillingly, he started to angle back up.

Sora realized what was happening and turned to his Replica, speaking rapidly. The Replica looked shocked for a moment, then furious as he charged Xehanort, ignoring the possibility of getting caught by Riku.

Xehanort noticed but remained unmoved. Only his will changed. Now Riku angled back down again, starting to veer toward the Replica. He fought the will all he could, but there was only so much he could do.

_-Take him out.-_ Xehanort commanded.

_-Get real, old man,-_ Sora's voice broke in. _-You'll have to face all three of us if you want to conquer Riku!-_

Sora and Demyx's will joined with his, pushing back. Riku was able to start to aim back toward Xehanort once again.

Then the sense of Xehanort's will was gone as the Replica barrelled into the unwary Xehanort, cannoning to the ground.

"Get him!" he shouted up to Riku. "Never mind me, get him!"

Riku grabbed with both talons, catching the both of them. Two clatters came as both their Keyblades were dropped in Riku's tight grip. He could feel at least one of the struggling and clearly hear them.

"Let me go!" Xehanort demanded as Riku gained height once again.

"As if he would," the Replica snarled. "He'll take us up and out over the fields and drop us, coupled with a good blast of wind to keep you from getting back. You'll likely fall to your doom, but he'll come back and catch me if he can."

"Not if I have anything to say about it," he growled. The sense of his will came back, scattered but trying to force itself on Riku again. Sora and Demyx pushed back.

_-Sorry old man,-_ Riku said, though he could not say it aloud. _-I don't answer to you.-_

And he let go. Sora's Replica kicked himself away from Xehanort as soon as they hit the air, spreading himself wide to slow his descent. Riku turned as quick as he could, diving down after the rapidly descending pair. He took a cue from the Replica sending all the magic he could muster at Xehanort, whipping up a howling storm that quickly turning into a dusty hurricane that obscured all view.

_-Riku!-_ Sora's voice called. _-What's happening in there? We can't see a thing!-_

_-Xehanort's falling,-_ he reported. _-If he survives this, he won't be in any condition to fight all of us. I've lost the Replica though. He's somewhere in here, but I picked a Windstorm, not a Dustflier. I'm not suited for finding something in all this.-_

_-Riku, you're a Heartless right now,-_ Demyx said. _-Use that. They can sense the presence of hearts, and the Replica has a heart. Home in on that.-_

_-I don't know how!-_

_-Do you think any of us know?-_ Demyx demanded. _-None of us know how to do half the things we've seen you do so far, so do whatever you did for that, even if it's guessing!-_

Riku tried to focus as he cast about in the storm, trying to find any sign of any life, even if it was only Xehanort. He had long since been lost in the storm's depths though. He dived down, weaving in and out of the storm, searching.

Something pulsed. He saw nothing, but he felt a pulse. Rapid beating. Fear. _A heart._

Without stopping to wonder whether it was Xehanort or the Replica Riku homed in on it and dived down toward it, trying to streamline himself as much as he could. The presence was a long way below him and the ground was coming up fast.

The air howled past him, almost drowning out the sound of the storm he'd created. Something flashed once below him in the same direction as the beating heart.

_-I can see him,-_ Riku reported back, aiming for the falling Replica. _-I'll be cutting it close though.-_

_-Focus, Riku,-_ Demyx replied. _-You can do it.-_

It was definitely cutting it fine. The field of Keyblades below was rapidly approaching, and he couldn't be sure if he'd make it. The Replica seemed unaware of his approach, so Riku screeched a warning ahead, hoping he'd understand. One hand curled up and gave a thumbs up, but Riku sensed the fear still coming from the heart.

He was tempted for a brief moment to go for the heart, but quickly overruled that thought and aimed below him, hoping he'd be able to catch hold. He wouldn't be able to tell for sure until he felt his weight on his back.

The tail was twitched down in preparation to pull back up again before he hit the ground, then the Replica went out of sight above him. The sense of the heart followed. After what seemed like an eternity, he felt the Replica land on his back, not squarely, not entirely perfect, but he heard Sora shout, "Go!"

Riku pulled up just in time. There was a rattle of Keyblades as the dead, lifeless Keyblades were torn from the ground by his slipstream, whipped into each other and after him.

_-Gotcha,-_ Riku thought back to Sora and Demyx, angling back around toward them.


	90. Mind to Mind

The storm continued to rage behind him. It had used a great deal of magic to create, it wasn't going to settle down again any time soon. Riku left it howling, locking his wings in position to just glide back to the waiting friends.

Terra still stood among them, though at long last he'd shown himself, removing his helmet. The resemblance to Xehanort was, unsurprisingly, uncanny. To Master Xehanort, not so much so. While on the way, Terra jammed his Keyblade into the ground causing it to give a great quake as a burst of energy radiated outwards. Where it touched, the landscape was changed. Here in his own mind, freed of Xehanort's influence, he ruled. What he wanted, he got.

Some land fell away, other parts lit up in bright colours as plant life bloomed. Tall chalk-white mountains shot up around the central plateau, which even now was grassing over. Behind them, the sound of the storm started to fade. As he glanced back, he saw it being sucked down into the ground, the energy making it up used to further the ongoing restoration.

"The Land of Departure," Sora's Replica murmured weakly from his back. Riku gave him a querying glance. "Ventus told us about it. How it looked and everything. Terra's remaking his mindscape in the image of the Land of Departure."

_-And Xehanort?-_ Riku asked, forgetting he could not talk aloud in this form. _-Is he with you?-_

_-One moment Riku, I'll pass it on to him,-_ Sora's voice told him.

_-If you two have a link, how come Demyx and I can't use it?-_

_-Beats me,-_ Sora replied.

"He's here," the Replica answered. "In me. He's not trying anything yet. I don't think he's entirely aware of what's going on, I can't tell. If I can trick him into thinking I'm accepting him, I will."

Riku nodded, satisfied. Their first mental incursion had gone almost perfectly. Only Ventus and Vanitas left, depending on what Xehanort tried to do. And the restoration of Jasmine, if that didn't get handled by itself.

He came in low, circling the restored castle once before dipping his wings and landing in the courtyard before it where everyone waited. Once the Replica slid off his back, he set about shifting back to his own form while Terra watched with interest.

"Remarkable," he rasped dryly when Riku was done. Up close it was clearer that the time spent forced under Xehanort's control had taken its toll on him. It seemed almost as if the only reason he was still standing was because the armour was somehow supporting him.

"What was it like?" Axel asked curiously. "Being Heartless, I mean."

"Sora already asked," Riku answered, almost grateful to hear his own voice again. "It's hard to put into words. Very tempting to go for his heart once I figured out how to sense them. Flying was better though. I could get to like doing that. Maybe we'll find a reason for me to do it again when we pay Ventus a visit." He paused, then to Terra, "Have they told you..."

"I've been aware of Xehanort's actions," Terra shrugged. "Vanitas has a lot to answer for. I'm coming with you, Riku. Ventus draws his strength from his friends. Aqua may not be able to be there but _I_ will be, and that's all he needs."

"I think all we need to do then is find the way out," Riku said. "Zexion?"

"Why ask me?"

"Because you know the spell better, or so you say," Demyx said absently. "You know, this place looks so much like Castle Oblivion."

"Aqua turned it into Castle Oblivion," Axel shrugged. "Hardly remarkable. Are we going, or do we have to wait or what?"

"If what you told me is right," Terra said thoughtfully. "She'll notice the change that'll come over my body now it's lost Xehanort's influence, and take that as a sign we've-" he broke off as everything went dark momentarily, then a flash of colour surrounded them.

"Normal," Sora said. "It's how we came in. I guess we've gotta go back to Riku," he said to Demyx. The two of them were already starting to fade out.

Terra also vanished as they returned back to the outside world, no doubt left in his own restored body. There were no random sounds this time, no voices and nothing said. Once the colour cleared once again, they were stood back at the Altar of Naught, exactly where they'd left.

Everyone else except for Aqua had drawn back toward the steps. Mickey had joined them, stood protectively in front of them, while Aqua remained where she was, having been maintaining the spell. Terra was laid out before them, starting to stir.

"What?" Riku asked, breaking the silence. "Didn't you ever see people come back from someone's mind before?"

"You didn't exactly go there," Aqua said. "Just your minds. The rest of you stayed here."

"You turned into a Heartless!" Donald exclaimed. "A big one at that!"

"Oh." Riku said. "That. It was kinda necessary. I needed to fly and I don't exactly have wings you know."

"But... a Heartless?" Mickey said, almost disbelieving. You didn't..."

"Consume any hearts? Of course not, though I guess it would have solved one problem," Riku admitted.

"You can't be serious," the Replica demanded. "You wouldn't really have done that, would you?"

"Be honest, if I'd turned him into a Heartless it would have made things so much easier," Riku replied. "Anyway, we've sorted that for now. Might have to ask you to put Sora here to sleep for his own safety, then we're be on to Ventus."

"Once she's recovered," Terra murmured, stirring. "Never ask her to do too much magic at once."

"And there's that to consider too," Aqua added, pointing to Ventus. Though he remained unconscious a thin red line told them he'd somehow picked up a nosebleed.

* * *

><p>In their mind, Ventus was doing more than just bleeding from his nose. Vanitas had used him as a punching bag, though it wasn't punches he'd been throwing. Ventus took it, constantly reminding himself it wasn't real. As long as it wasn't real, he was safe.<p>

Now Vanitas was stalking around the cavern their mind had created, muttering to himself and gesturing animatedly as he did so. He knew where he was now, having figured it out once he'd calmed himself somewhat.

Ventus said nothing. He didn't need to. Not only had me managed to keep a part of himself safe when Vanitas had thought him destroyed, but he'd managed to arrange it so that unless Vanitas figured out what was maintaining him, _no-one_ could destroy the last part of him. No matter what happened in their mind.

"Damn you Ventus," Vanitas snapped, suddenly turning on him again. "I'm going to get the better of you yet. I didn't spend ten years pretending to be you and not learn anything about you."

"You don't even know what they're going to do," Ventus said. "And you can't fight what you don't know."

"Never said anything about fighting. I'm just going to make it very hard for them to tell the difference. I've learned a trick or two from Riku, and here in the mind I can do what I want."

Ventus watched with mild interest as Vanitas blurred and shifted, settling in a perfect imitation of Ventus – even the amber eyes had been concealed.

Ventus laughed. Weakly and faltering as it set off flares of pain from various places, but he laughed at his doppelgänger.

"You think that will fool them?" he asked eventually. "Once they see me, you really think that will fool them?"

Vanitas wordlessly considered this, then shifted again, adding the various infirmities he'd inflicted on Ventus, though they were imitations only. Once he was done a second time he theatrically fell to the ground, appearing to be just barely supporting himself.

"He did this," Vanitas said in a faked weak voice, pointing to Ventus. "When he realised he couldn't beat me, he did this to me then pretended to be me."

Ventus snorted derisively. "If I was ever that pathetic I've made myself forget it. You'll never fool anyone that way."

"We'll see, Ventus," Vanitas said in a normal tone. "We'll see."

* * *

><p>"But you said!" Donald exclaimed. "You told me I'd go!"<p>

"That was before Terra decided to come along, Donald," Riku answered. "Look, it's not that I don't want you to come, but the spell can only take so many and I count as three. That leaves only two after Terra, and Mickey and Kairi have already laid claim."

"I'll stay," Kairi said. "I don't mind. Sounds like you got into another fight before, and that means you probably will again. Think I'd prefer to keep out of it – just in case. You, on the other hand, are going to come back in one piece."

"Of course I will," Riku said, wincing slightly at her tone. "You really think I wouldn't?"

"C'mon, guys," Mickey called, coming to join them. "Zexion's gonna do the spell this time since Aqua's still recovering. We gotta get ready to go."

Donald hurried after the King, not wanting to lose the place he'd been given. Kairi held Riku back.

"You take care of yourself. Both of you," she added quickly. "Are you going to ask Kingdom Hearts to do something about that, by the way?"

"We'll ask, but it's up to it whether we get it or not. I'm just hoping it'll be generous once I offer to set it free in return."

"You know you'll have to deal with the Replica though. Don't look at me like that, there are some benefits to being one of the princesses. I sensed Xehanort's presence move to him from Terra. Just what are you going to do about it?"

"He's handling it. He doesn't like it, but he says he's going to try to trick Xehanort into thinking he's accepting him, then somehow turn on him. If we have to overpower Xehanort a second time, we will. I'd prefer to keep him intact, since it gives Sora a body to return to without having to ask Kingdom Hearts to create a new one, but-"

"Riku, if I can do that, so can it. I've never had to, but it's perfectly possible. Don't hesitate to destroy that body if you have to. In fact, I think I'd prefer it if you did."

"But Jasmine-" he started.

"Will be restored when you get rid of Vanitas," she cut him off. "I figured this out while you were gone. The darkness in her belongs to Vanitas. If he's not around to maintain it, it'll fade away and her displaced heart will be able to return. So once you get back you can safely deal with him and he won't have any vessels left to hide in."

"Riku!" Terra called. "We're leaving without you if you don't hurry up!"

"At least consider it," Kairi told Riku, then let him go.


	91. Trouble Twin

At a last minute change of plans, Sora's Replica had chosen not to take the chance and to remain outside, allowing Goofy to also join. Terra voiced no concerns with this himself, greeting them both as 'little friends' and explaining he'd run across them once before.

Under Zexion's hand the spell took slightly longer to cast and had frequent minor corrections from Aqua, who had designed it in the first place and naturally knew it better than him. It took hold the same way however, enveloping them in a shifting, multicoloured curtain of light, within which Sora and Demyx once again emerged.

"Well, I guess more hands can't hurt," Mickey observed. "Been a while since you'n I last saw each other," he added to Sora.

Sora laughed, "Yeah. Castle Oblivion, wasn't it? I was rescuing Zexion. Good thing I did too, huh?"

"Didn't we also see you there?" Goofy asked. "Don't remember, but I gotta feeling we definitely saw you."

"Don't remember? Sora asked sharply. "Why not?"

"Naminé," Demyx explained. Riku should remember, I think. Depending on what he was told. Naminé made you two and the Replica forget things, replacing them with false memories in the Replica's case, in an attempt to get another Keyblade master under the Organization's control. Probably at Vanitas' request too."

"Is that why we don't remember anything?" Donald asked. "Can we get the memories back?"

"What do I look like, an Oracle?" Demyx said irritably. "I don't know everything you know. Go ask Kairi when we get out, I understand Naminé is her Nobody – somehow. She'll know where to find her, if not be able to help you."

Mickey gave Demyx a curious look and said, "That sounded too emotional for a Nobody."

"My hearts," Riku said. "He's technically a part of me, so he gets to borrow from us."

"Will you be quiet?" Terra asked. "I'm trying to listen."

They all paused, also listening. Fragments of voices once again came to them. Different sounds accompanied them. Grunts, cries – it sounded like someone being hurt.

The colour around them darkened considerably, finally clearing to reveal what appeared again to be the Land of Departure, but in bad shape. The courtyard had been torn up, the steps leading further down were destroyed, the front gates hung off their hinges and several of the chains that anchored the castle to the surrounding peaks had been severed. The skies above looked like those Riku had seen in the recollection of the Keyblade Graveyard ten years before, only without Kingdom Hearts.

"It's a reflection of what he's done," Terra said. "This place was the first home Ventus ever remembered. Master Xehanort brought him here originally to put him under the Master's care, except he had no memories – nothing except his name. But now Vanitas has power..."

"He's turned into a battered ruin," Mickey finished. "I visited here just before I came to the Keyblade Graveyard. I wanted to talk to Eraqus, but I had already missed him. This is how it looked then too."

"I don't see anyone," Demyx said, looking about. "I don't even see signs of anyone."

"He's here." Terra said. "He'd never give up the grip he got on Ventus."

"Ah, Terra," Vanitas' deeper voice echoed around them. "So I see the old fool failed me again. No matter – he'll make life difficult for one of the other vessels until he has his way, then I'll take him to task for what he's done. Just as soon as I've dealt with you meddling interlopers."

"Come out and play, Vanitas," Riku called. "It's time you and I had that fight we've been waiting to have."

"Come and find me then, Riku. Ventus and I are waiting. Aren't we Ventus?"

There was the sound of something being thumped, coupled with another pain-filled grunt. The landscape around them shook, as if Vanitas had caused the ground itself to quake, then weakly Ventus' own voice came to them.

"Remember what happened, Terra. The promise I asked you to keep. It's all that's sustaining me right now. I need you."

Terra looked puzzled for a few moments, apparently thinking this through, then he frowned.

"The promise... right. This way," he told them, turning without explanation toward the castle.

"Where are you going, Terra?" Vanitas voice continued to haunt them. "You won't find us that way."

Terra ignored him.

"What did he mean?" Mickey asked, running to keep up with Terra's long strides.

"I can't say," he answered. "Firstly, Vanitas would hear and figure out how to counter it. Second, I made a promise and I'm not going to break it. It's about time I started to put things right. You guys stick close and be ready for anything Vanitas throws at us."

Terra led them into the castle, the insides as bad as the outside. Collapsed pillars, shattered windows and evidence of nature being brought inside through them. Rubble blocked their path several times, but Terra simply swung his great Keyblade at them with a muttered word that caused them to crumble into dust. Sometimes this led to more surrounding corridors caving in, forcing a repeat where he felt it safe to or an alternative route. He didn't explain once.

Eventually he led them to a large hall, the only room so far that was intact, if darkened. In the middle of the three large seats at the far side, Vanitas sat, toying idly with Void Gear. He snapped his fingers once as they started to approach, smiling as a hoard of Heartless appeared.

"Excuse me," Riku said. "This one's mine."

"Be careful," Mickey murmured, then mumbled, "Sorry," at his glance.

_-Obey,-_ he thought out to them.

_-Try again, Riku,-_ Vanitas' voice came back, his smile ahead turning to a smirk. _-These are extensions of me.-_

_-Then you won't mind if I do this then, will you?-_ Riku asked and sent a jolt of darkness through each of the fake Heartless. Some of them had magic to them which he stole, then assigned to a different Heartless, randomising as much as he could. Several flickered as he continued to alter them, a few even winked out of existence.

Vanitas flinched every time he caused any of them to vanish, making several explode. Finally he gave in and with an absent wave, dismissed the lot of them.

"Think that's the end of it?" Riku asked him.

"You've won that round. What more is there?" Vanitas demanded.

"Maybe you weren't aware of what I was really doing," Riku said. "Why don't I show you?"

He reached out again, following the connection he'd established with the Heartless and found Vanitas himself, wrapping the thought of a hand around his darkness.

_-Get ready, Sora,-_ Riku thought, hoping that at least was still kept private from Vanitas.

Then he pulled.

Vanitas reacted as if Riku had been holding him, yanked out of the seat and thrown to the floor. Sora winced and groaned slightly, one hand starting to glow with a dark fire.

"Let me help," Terra murmured. "I have some experience in this."

The fire faded as he took hold of Sora's wrist, and Riku felt the mass of darkness he'd stolen diminish greatly.

"Had enough yet?" Riku asked pleasantly. "There's more if you're of a mind, of course."

"And even if you're not," Donald added, waving his staff threateningly.

Vanitas glared at them, not bothering to get back up. Riku felt darkness pooling through the connection he'd maintained, but this time Vanitas forced him out of it before he could do anything. Darkness flared around Vanitas' own hand, then he hit the floor.

The room vanished, the floor shattering. For a brief moment they all hung in the empty air before gravity caught hold and dropped them. Vanitas remained above for a moment before he vanished entirely.

"Someone do something!" Donald shouted over the sound of air rushing past. "Before we hit something!"

"Open to suggestions, little friend!" Terra answered.

"Gravity magic," Demyx said. "Invert the effect and aim it a long way below so we catch it on the way past!"

Sora sighed and muttered something lost to the wind, sending a bolt of darkness ahead of them. It went down for a long way, but finished eventually by creating a deep pool of water for them to splash into. With their velocity, hitting it felt like being hit by an anvil.

Riku didn't aim for the surface right away, casting quickly about for everyone else. It looked like only Sora was having any trouble, so he quickly swum to him, caught hold and brought him up to the surface and then the water's edge.

"I thought you could swim?" Riku asked him.

"I could, when I was Riku," Sora said after coughing out some water. "I guess you stole that from me with my name. I know you never used to be able to swim."

"Maybe you just left it behind, I don't know. Anyone know where we are?"

"Looks to me like some kind of cave," Goofy remarked. "Mighty dark though. I can barely see you."

"My turn then," Mickey said. The sound of his Keyblade moving echoed slightly along with the chain jingling, then the cavern was illuminated by a light he was holding on its tip above them. It was a roughly circular dome with many exits around the edges. Two of them had a line of red spatters leading from one to the other.

"Come find me now, Riku," Vanitas' voice taunted them. "You'll wander here for ever, lost in the depths of my mind. You'll never find-"

"This way," Terra cut him off, leading them toward one of the exits that had no red spatters. "I know exactly where we are and where we're going."

There was a silent pause, then Vanitas burst out, "Impossible! You've got to be guessing. You can't possibly know."

"Maybe," Terra said, a smile touching his face. "But can you afford to take that chance? You put us in a cavern made out of earth and rock, Vanitas. My speciality."

"I can deal with that," he snarled. The rock walls wavered, replaced as they walked along with walls made of wood, squaring off the corridor they were in.

"Oh dear. Whatever will I do now?" Terra asked theatrically. They emerged into a cavern similar to the first, but lacking the water they'd landed in. Terra paused only momentarily, leading them to another exit as he hummed to himself tunelessly.

"Don't tell me you've got power over wood as well," Vanitas said in disbelief.

"Nope, never picked it up," Terra answered cheerfully. "Haven't got a clue where to start. Could probably pick it up if I wanted. By your reckoning I'm certainly going to be here long enough."

"Damn you and your damn secrets!" Vanitas raged. "First Ventus and now you! If you don't tell me how you're doing this I'll destroy him!"

"Oh, you'd like to think so, wouldn't you?" Terra replied in the same kinds of tones one normally discussed the weather. "I think you'll find it rather hard to do so though. Of course there's always us, but if you do anything to us you'll never find out. Even Aqua doesn't know about the promise."

"Again with the talk of a promise! What promise? What did he do?"

"I'm sure you'll find out somehow," he answered, leading them through a third cavern. "I'm finding your trails of fake blood very amusing, by the way. If you'd ever actually seen someone lose blood though, you'd have seen it doesn't look like that when forming a trail. You're not very good at this deception business, are you?"

There was an enraged scream that echoed through the tunnels to them.

"I think I might have irritated him just slightly," Terra said happily. "Aren't you so glad you brought me along, Riku?"

"I'm starting to wonder if you even need me around?" Riku replied.

"Oh, you're necessary, believe me. All of you are. You never made the promise Ventus mentioned, but in your own way, you all qualify for something similar enough that it does the same job. I still can't say anything of course, but believe me when I tell you it makes you all necessary. Kairi, Axel and Zexion wouldn't have been so useful, as they're missing what's necessary. Aqua has it, though she doesn't know it."

"But what actually... is it?" Mickey asked. "If you can say anything at all about it."

"It's all that's keeping Ventus alive," Terra replied. "And if Vanitas figures it out, we're all in great danger. So I'm going to keep on irritating him, because angry people make mistakes. And I wouldn't want to interrupt him while he's making a mistake – that's bad manners."

"I am _not_ making mistakes!" Vanitas said hotly.

"Of course not, of course not," Terra said. "That's why we're here, isn't it? Because you didn't make a mistake, not even once. Ah, here we are."

It was another cavern, a larger one than the previous ones and still made of rock. It had been furnished with a table and chair that had a card game laid out on it, but left in progress.

"This is a bit inconvenient," Terra murmured then, seeing the only other two things in the room. They both looked exactly like a severely beaten and battered Ventus, both looking barely able to hold themselves up enough to see them arrive.

"Can't you tell which is which?" Goofy asked him. "After leading us here, surely-"

"Not this close, not," Terra sighed. "Bugger."


	92. The Mask Lifted

The two twinned Vens were not entirely identical, but neither were the differences anything to tell them apart by. Their injuries were the most different, each suggesting the other – were he Vanitas – had taken a different approach to their clearly brutal attack.

They both however had the same blue eyes, the same blond hair, the same outfit and the same expression. It made telling them apart practically impossible.

"He tried to destroy me Terra," one said. "And when he found he couldn't, he impersonated me to try and throw you off and destroy the wrong one."

"Pull the other one," the other Ventus snorted, stopping to wince and hold one side. "I told you they wouldn't fall for something as pathetic as that."

"Sound like that and you'll make them see the truth about you," the first retorted.

"Oh, be quiet, the both of you," Demyx told them. "We have to solve this somehow, just let me think how. What do we know so far?"

"We know they're both practically identical and Terra can't pick up on the difference the same way he led us here," Sora said.

"Maybe we should ask them something," Mickey suggested. "Something only Ventus would know."

"Problem," Riku said. "Ventus is probably aware of everything that's been happening to him, the same way Terra was Xehanort." The twins both nodded. "And I remember Vanitas, back when he was going by Roxas, told me that he knew everything Ventus did before he was created. So if we want to catch them out, it has to be in the time between his creation and the moment of their combination."

"I think we can go further," Demyx said. "We know Ventus survived because he gave his heart to Peter Pan, and that meant even though Vanitas destroyed or took over the rest at the Graveyard, he still had a presence in their shared heart. We can include the time from there to the point where Roxas reclaimed their heart from Pan, but we have to ask questions that Ventus wouldn't know the answer to, know Vanitas – because it was Vanitas who was using his and Roxas's names."

"Mickey and I can cover the first time along with you two," Terra said, nodding to Donald and Goofy. "We were all involved with Ventus in some way. Can't say for sure about you Demyx, and I don't think Riku or Sora can do much for that period."

"But we can do something about the second one, Demyx too, because we all met Roxas," Riku finished. "You two just have to try to answer honestly – unless you've got something to hide," he said to both Ventus.

"_I_ don't have anything to hide," the first Ventus asserted. "_He's_ the one hiding things."

"Don't be stupid, just give yourself up already," the other Ventus, to their left, told him. "It'll save us all the time and trouble."

"Why would I give myself up? They can already see who I am."

"Will you two stop bickering?" Demyx told them irritably. "It isn't helping matters at all. Someone start asking them questions, I'll watch them."

They shared a look, as if silently asking who wanted to go first, then Mickey led.

"The Keyblade Graveyard," he said, still thinking through his query as he spoke it. "The first time I saw you there was... when? And what happened? You first," he said to the one on their left.

"You appeared unexpectedly, tossed a healing spell at me then helped me fight him off," that Ventus replied.

The other nodded agreement, "He's got me there. That's exactly how it happened. Heal me, then fight him."

"So much for that idea," Mickey muttered.

"How about us then?" Donald asked. "We never met Vanitas, but we both met you – where?"

"Didn't we?" Goofy asked. "That boy in the mask though..."

"We saw him, we didn't meet him," Donald interrupted. "Answer the question."

"Yen Sid's tower," it came from both of them at the same time. Donald frowned.

"Right, and what happened up in his room?" Goofy asked. "You gotta remember what we talked about."

The Ventus on their right hesitated, then to the other said, "You first."

"What, so you can steal my story? Fat chance!" he snorted.

"I don't need to steal _your_ story. Tell them."

The left Ventus gave the other a harsh look, then answered, "Yen Sid told us Mickey was in danger and in the Keyblade Graveyard, so I went to go help him only to find it was a trap and Xehanort was waiting for me."

"And you?" Goofy prompted the other one.

"One detail he doesn't have," he shrugged slightly. "You both wanted to go save him, only I had to persuade you to let me handle it on my own."

"Oh, one details I forgot," the first Ventus snapped. "No one has a perfect memory you know!"

Terra and Demyx shared a look between them, then Terra gestured for Demyx to go aside with him. They held a murmured conversation, too quiet to make out. Once they were done, Demyx looked back at them.

"Sora, Riku – you both ask a question next. Then Terra will ask his. I'll add mine if I think it's needed, so one of you decide who's going first and ask."

"After you," Riku said to Sora.

"Damn. Beat me to it. Now I've got to figure out what I was going to ask." He looked thoughtful for a time. Sora could feel him mentally rummaging around in their memories.

_-At least try to keep it to something he knows you'd have been present at,-_ Riku told him mentally.

_-Just looking for anything I can use against them,-_ Sora replied.

After a time he appeared to find what he wanted and the rummaging feeling stopped. Sora looked from one Ventus to the other, trying to decide who to direct his question to, then gave up and settled for somewhere between the two.

"I was the one who hid Zexion," he said. "Mickey will confirm that, he was present at the time. You got told about that, and where I hid him. Where was he, who told you, and when did you get told?"

Both of them look thoughtful now, clearly having to think back to find out.

On their right, Ventus glanced surreptitiously at his doppelgänger. When he was sure he was too deep in thought to notice, he got their attention and shook his head silently, indicating he didn't know.

Terra nodded, murmuring something else to Demyx who also nodded silent agreement while he watched the remaining Ventus.

"Riku told me," he answered eventually. "He told me what had happened just after Axel got back, but I didn't find out where you'd hidden Zexion until..." he stopped again, thinking some more. "You told me Sora had put him on Destiny Islands when we went to check up on Xigbar. You wanted to know if Beast had really destroyed him or not. Belle asked us to check up on her fellow princesses, and when I suggested I visit them you told me he was there when you mentioned Kairi."

His answer done, he looked to the other Ventus.

"News to me," he shrugged. "I only found out all that after you restored our heart and were talking to Zexion about it. I don't remember anything you've just said."

The first one looked faintly sick, as if he'd just realized his mistake.

"My turn then," Riku said, before he could try to cover it up. "You and I entered the Games over at Olympus Coliseum-"

"You entered the Games?" Terra demanded, interrupting. "After I told you not to risk your neck again?"

"I can look after myself, Terra," the right side Ventus protested. "He'll say the same thing if you ask him."

The other Ventus nodded agreement, adding, "Besides, it's not as if we lost."

Terra didn't look happy about this, but said nothing else.

"Like I was saying," Riku tried again. "We entered the Games. Under who's name?"

"Mine, of course," the left Ventus answered immediately. "Had to explain I was using a different name, but he entered us as Ventus."

"Demyx?" Terra asked.

"No," Demyx answered. "I have everything I need. Go ahead."

Terra stepped forward then, glancing at the card game left on the table as he sat down and looked from one to the other.

"Mickey, be ready with a healing spell," he said. "Sora, Riku, Donald, Goofy, you get between the two of them. One of these two is a fake, and you'll probably have to fight one. Whichever one it is, stop them. Ventus – whichever of you is the real one... sorry. I have to take this risk to keep the promise I made you. It's that promise I want you to tell me about. I know for certain only one of you knows exactly what it is. Say it and you vindicate yourself."

The Ventus on their left looked uncertain. "Terra," he said, almost pleading. "Does it really have to come down to this? I mean, I told you not to say for a reason, right?"

"You tell me," Terra answered. "I never mentioned anything about not saying. I just said I had to take a risk."

"But Terra-" he started again, but the other Ventus cut him off.

"You saw what happened when Xehanort split my heart in two," he said. "You told my by sheer chance you happened to be looking out the right window at the right time and saw what happened. Once Xehanort had gone and taken Vanitas with him, you confronted me about it and asked what I was thinking. I told you why I felt it was necessary – using the light to protect me – and I told you how I survived it safely. I used everyone I knew, used my impact on their hearts and the small bit of me in each of them as a safety net. That's why he can't destroy me – they're sustaining me even now. As long as any one of you still has my touch on your heart, even if it was gained through him, I can never be destroyed. I'm Ventus. I'm real."

The unveiled Vanitas didn't bother to change his appearance back to his own, but rose to his feet ignoring the apparent infirmities over him.

"You rat!" he shouted, Void Gear coming into his hand. "If I'd known that I'd- I'd-"

"You'd have destroyed them," Ventus said, grinning broadly. "But you didn't. You let them get all the way here to the heart of our minds and hearts. Go on, Vanitas. Try to stop them. You've lost again!"

Mickey snapped out the healing spell as Vanitas lunged for the four barring his way, only to be pushed back by two Keyblades a shield and a blast of thunder. Demyx moved to join Mickey and Ventus, helping him clear if the impending battle as Terra rose, his armour reappearing around him.

"Care to surrender?" he asked Vanitas cooly. "Or would you prefer outright oblivion?"


	93. Strength of the Heart

Vanitas did not take losing well. Already furious about the situation before they'd arrived, now he seemed almost incandescent with rage. Gone was any semblance of sanity or defence, he attacked openly with no heed for his own hide with little strategy but for whatever hastily thought up ideas he had.

They banded together behind Terra to protect each other and Ventus. Demyx and now Goofy protected the recovering Ventus from anything that came their way, leaving Terra, Riku, Sora and Mickey to bar his path, easily fending off any attack by Void Gear. Donald kept safely behind them, throwing magic over their heads and occasionally repeating the original healing spell for Ventus.

Ventus, for his part, appeared to be keeping out of it. As he regained strength though he started to get involved indirectly. The cavern floor rippled and changed, giving them every advantage he could imagine. Choking clouds appeared but had no effect on any of them, being little more than a fine mist to them. Vanitas on the other hand had to retrieve his mask to combat them, and even then he still felt the effects.

When he was clearly feeling more certain of himself he took out Wayward Wind, handed it to Demyx and pointed him toward the rest of them, bringing another opponent to Vanitas, who took it even worse than ever, making more and more mistakes. Confidence and strength seemed to be streaming back to Ventus as Vanitas weakened under their concerted attacks, enough that he soon felt confident enough to direct Goofy toward them.

Vanitas grew more frantic with his attacks, lashing out indiscriminately and more often than note striking nothing but empty air. The amassed Keyblades alone more than held him off, backing him into the same corner he'd left Ventus in.

Riku felt something unfamiliar. It wasn't unlike the first time he'd touched on Demyx, or for that matter become aware of Sora, but it wasn't either of them.

_-Oh hush,-_ Ventus' voice said gently. _-Try to pretend you aren't noticing this. He probably can't tell anyway the way he is, but I'm not taking any chances this time.-_

_-What are you doing, Ventus?-_ Sora asked, but Ven didn't reply. Riku tried to shut out the feeling of Ventus' mental touch on them, however he'd done it and avoided another badly aimed strike that came too close.

_-Ven?-_ That was Terra's voice. _-What's going on? I can hear your thoughts. And Riku's too.-_

_-Hush,-_ Ven said again. _-I need this. Try to ignore it. Others will be coming too – tell them the same thing. I have to concentrate.-_

_-Is this what it's like in your head?-_ Mickey's voice asked Riku.

_-Worse once Demyx was added,-_ Riku replied.

_-Well excuse me,-_ Demyx said, sounding hurt. _-It was _your_ idea, after all.-_

_-And mine too,-_ Zexion's added. _-Most interesting. Are you hearing this too?-_

_-Naturally,-_ Axel's voice also came to them.

_-Ven, do you mind not using my head as a meeting hall?-_ Riku asked plaintively. _-It's getting a little crowded in here.-_

_-Oh, come on Riku, be honest. You don't mind really,-_ Kairi said, also joining them. He got a distinctly amused feeling from Sora.

_-Almost there,-_ Ventus said. _-Just one more, then I can take over.-_

_-Ventus, you're not strong enough yet,-_ Terra protested.

_-I wasn't, but I am now thanks to all of you. Are you with us now Aqua?-_

_-I'm here, Ven,-_ she answered. _-What do you need us to do?-_

_-Just lend me your strength, my friends. Let me use your hearts to strengthen mine. And Riku... I'm going to need to borrow your Keyblade for this.-_

Riku held back away from the fight around Vanitas, aware of a crowd of shadowy ghost-like figures dotting about the cavern representing the others who weren't already here with them. Ventus joined him, stood tall once more and almost fully healed. A few marks remained from Vanitas' abuse, but he no longer looked pale, no longer had red stains on anything. Riku wordlessly handed his Keyblade to him.

"Now to end this," Ventus said, taking it from him. "The last step on the way. Jasmine will be restored, in case you're wondering," he added. "Xehanort might live on inside the Replica, but he has two disadvantages. For one thing, Replicas don't age."

"You mean I'll..."

"Never grow up. Not really, no. But you can get around that – just alter yourself as you want. Assuming Kingdom Hearts doesn't help you, of course."

"And the other thing?" Riku asked.

"Your body was the most advanced Replica ever made, from what I gather. It's the only one that's managed to overcome a key flaw in them. Sooner or later, without regular maintenance... they decay and fall apart. Mickey's Replica and yours... eventually they'll go that way. Unless someone does something about them first. In the case of yours, I think he might prefer it given Xehanort's presence. Now if you'll excuse me..."

Ventus headed almost casually toward them, one thought from him silently asking them all to step clear. Vanitas suddenly found himself surrounded by a wall of enemies, alone but for his restored light half.

"Again?" he demanded. "You think it'll turn out any different this time?"

"Naturally. I've got the benefit of experience, and I've got my friends. What do you have, Vanitas? You betrayed everyone, tricked and fooled your way through. You turned Xehanort from your master into your own subordinate, and he resents that. Xemnas certainly didn't appreciate finding out who you really were. Can you honestly say there's even one person anywhere who even so much as likes you?"

"I don't need anything of the sort. I've got the darkness on my side!"

"Haven't you been paying attention? I survived you because I had all my friends. They've brought me back to strength. You can't destroy me because of them. If I destroy you here and now, you've got nothing to save you."

Vanitas didn't bother to reply, launching himself for Ventus. Ventus didn't appear concerned by this, raising the Keyblade of People's Hearts and placing it in his path. Vanitas collided with it and bounced off as if it was as immovable as a mountain.

He attacked again and was repelled just as easily. Ventus never struck back, always remaining calm and moving only as much as he needed. It took some time for this to filter through Vanitas' rage.

"Why?" he demanded. "What have you done?"

"I brought everyone here to my mind – my heart. Everyone who has a single tie to me is present in some form," Ventus said, gesturing behind them. "They are my strength. This is _my_ mind, Vanitas... and you have no place in it."

"Then I'll destroy them!" Vanitas raged, reaching for the closest person, who happened to be Sora.

"Don't be stupid," Sora snorted, kicking him away. "You didn't even make a mark on us before, you really think you can now?"

Ventus closed on Vanitas, starting to raise the borrowed Keyblade.

"I've put up with your presence in my heart for ten years, Vanitas. When you overpowered me I hid in my heart and kept to myself. I was the one making your emotions unstable because it was all I could do without you catching on. Ten years I had to watch as you ruined my good reputation, turning me into an untrustworthy trickster. You had the use of my name, my body, even my Keyblade and friends. Now I've come to collect what's owed to me, Vanitas. Defend yourself – if you can!"

In Vanitas' defence, he did try. He continued to strike out only to be met with an opponent that blocked some attacks and shrugged off others as if they hadn't even happened. Ventus drove him back further, raising the Keyblade further until he stumbled back into a wall and faltered.  
>Ventus drove the Keyblade into him. As Vanitas stiffened in shock, Ventus took Void Gear from his unprotesting hands.<p>

"This is mine now," he said quietly. "And my darkness along with it. I'll take responsibility for it, the way I should have in the first place. And you... will be just a bad memory."

Vanitas didn't reply, left pinned to the wall as he started to fade away. He looked down to Riku's Keyblade, then laid one hand weakly on Ventus and finally said, "At least... I tried. Can't blame me... for that. Enjoy your life, my better half," he finished, fading completely.

Ventus picked up Riku's Keyblade and returned it to him.

"We can go now," he said. "Thank you, all of you. I couldn't have done it without you. I'm sorry for what he did, but... it's over now. Ventus is back And it's all thanks to you, my friends."

* * *

><p>The light faded once more, depositing them all back at the peak of the Organization's former abode one last time. Void Gear remained in Ventus' hand, but as Vanitas had not changed anything about his appearance he looked identical.<p>

Sora's Replica was not in the magic sleep Terra and Ventus had been subject to prior to their incursions, but neither was he yet under Xehanort command – that much he already knew, as he had been included among the many minds who had joined with Ventus.

Riku looked through the silently waiting friends gathered around and the many Keyblades present, then finally said, "Any objections?"

No one said anything, each looking to everyone else. After a time Mickey spoke up.

"Just remember what you said you'd do, Riku," he said. "Set it free when you're done."

"Don't worry," Riku replied, turning to Kingdom Hearts above. "I will."

"You know, it's been a long time coming," the Replica murmured. "I'm gonna miss all the rushing around and everything, y'know? There's not gonna be so much to beat up-"

"Is that all you ever think about?" Kairi asked. "Beating things up? Even Sora and Riku aren't so addicted to fighting things."

"I dunno, maybe I'm just developing into my own person. I like a good fight, that's all."

"Hush," Riku told them, then to Kingdom Hearts he said, "Alright up there, it's time you and I had a little talk. We've all done a lot for you, and there's a few things we'd like to ask you to do before I set you free..."


	94. Epilogue

Riku rose slowly, trying to hold on to sleep as long as he could. There was no need to get up early any more. Around him the few slight sounds of his room came to him, along with the faint wash of the waves playing on the beach.

Kingdom Hearts was free. It was over at long last. It was hard to say whether it had cooperated with all of the requests he'd made – requests, never demands or orders. He didn't want it to get the feeling it had to do what he asked.

On the other hand, some things were plainly visible. He and Kairi had been returned to the islands, arriving with the additional figures of Sora and Demyx, both given their own separate existence again an in the case of Demyx, fully restored.

There had been one hastily made agreement immediately afterwards though. Kingdom Hearts had noted that though he was, at heart, truly Sora, he had used Riku's name and appearance for so long that on arrival, he had kept that. Thus for the people of Destiny Islands, they'd kept up his original act. They thought him Riku and Sora... well, to be Sora.

Mickey stopped by later with Donald and Goofy, having taken a brief side-trip back to the World that Never Was only to find it, and Kingdom Hearts with it, had ceased to exist. In a last act, Kingdom Hearts had pushed back the Heartless far enough to allow its component hearts to flow back safely to where they belonged.

Not long after, Ventus came by on his own now with his armour and glider, since he felt it unsafe to resort to dark corridors. He'd only just taken his darkness back and had little first-hand experience with it. Riku offered to teach him, only to find Terra had beaten him to it.

Ventus told them that Terra and Aqua meanwhile were returning to Castle Oblivion with the intentions of restoring and re-opening the Land of Departure so aspiring Keyblade bearers would have a place to train. He, Kairi and Sora had all been offered immediate places there, and to their surprise Demyx too. The Keyblade the Replica had wielded, Way to the Dawn, was said to be waiting for a wielder, and his time with Riku and Sora had given Demyx what he needed. He too joined the ranks of bearers.

Mickey later reported that Axel and Zexion had set up shop in Radiant Garden alongside the other former Nobodies in an attempt to create a means of communicating between any world so if anything happened, word could be put out in short order. This had however also revealed that the Replica was nowhere to be seen. Given that Riku had asked Kingdom Hearts to do something for him though, that may not have been remarkable. Likely, it had overheard and taken Kairi's advice and was no more...

* * *

><p>The Replica's body was in fact lying on the darkened shores of the Dark Margin, unmoving with a blank expression staring at the dark skies. Flickers of yellow appeared in his eyes, always beaten back before they got far.<p>

Sand scrunched as another figure strode up the beach, pausing to kneel at the Replica's side and watch this battle for a time. After a moment it laid one hand on the Replica's forehead, a momentary flare of indigo appearing around the hand which seemed sucked into the the Replica.

The yellow fought back with a vengeance now. The dark flare strengthened it, bolstered it. It established a foothold and started to push back extending its control. It faltered as it reached the half-way mark, whereupon the figure inserted another dark flare. This time the effect was instantaneous, pushing the blue out entirely.

After a moment the Replica sat up quickly, looking about wildly. He spotted the figure, focused for a few moments then said, "You. And I'm..." he looked at himself. "Right. The Replica."

"Didn't you already know?" the figure asked.

"Taking over someone's body is always followed by a few awkward moments," Xehanort replied, looking himself over in more detail. "I look ridiculous, but at least I still exist."

"The Replica's mind?"

"In the same position Terra's was," he shrugged. "He was no more a match for me than Terra. But never mind that. How did you-"

"Survive? Simple. The idiot boy revealed his hand too soon. Told me how he'd survived this long. All I did was conceal my attempt to do the same."

"Didn't he say... you didn't have anyone?"

"That's what he thinks," Vanitas smirked. "Everyone I met while using his name has a tie to me. None of them have any idea what happened. I didn't dare touch Riku or anyone else Ventus brought in, but I had plenty to keep me going. Of course, that infernal Keyblade Ansem created meant I had to give up my half of his heart... but thanks to my friends I now have a fledgling heart growing in me. Riku thinks us both destroyed, and what he doesn't know..."

"Can definitely hurt him," Xehanort finished, grinning at the moonlight. "Watch out Riku. You haven't seen the last of us yet."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **And there we are, one last final twist at the end of the story. Like various other stories, I may or may not make a sequel to cover the consequences of this twist, but right now and at long, long last, Emergence joins the ranks of my completed stories. And what an adventure it's been, huh?

Stay tuned to my other stories, as I'll be continuing another story in progress soon.

Until next time people!


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